Mumbai ready to pay ₹179 more to travel an hr less
MUMBAI: Mumbaiites who do nothing on their usually long commute between home and work are willing to pay up to ₹179.2 more to save an hour’s travel time. Those who use the time to read, speak with co-passengers or surf the Internet on their smartphones are not willing to pay as much, the Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay (IIT-B) said, in a study that could give urban planners pointers on how to make your commute better.
The study assigns value to the time people spend travelling. This is called Value of Travel Time Savings, or VTTS, and it is the amount individuals are willing to pay to save an hour. The average VTTS a Mumbaiite who does nothing while travelling by public transport, using a private vehicle, cycling or walking is ₹179.2. An person occupied during the time is willing to pay, on an average, 26% less — ₹132.2 to save an hour of travel time. The researchers said the outcome of the study is important for policy makers and transport planners to understand how the value attached to travel time reduces when an individual is able to do other things while travelling. They used the example of popular cab aggregator, Ola, which has info-tainment devices in their cars to keep commuters engaged. Varun Varghese, the principal investigator of the study from the Centre for Urban Science and Engineering (CUSE), IIT-B, said transport planners must now prioritise public transport modes. “If a public transport mode can enable individuals to involve themselves in a multi-tasking activity, they will also attach value to that particular travel,” he said.
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