Analyzing potential transport mode shifting behavior from car to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Nairobi, Kenya

Nairobi (Kenya) is an African fast-growing city highly dependent on automobiles and informal public transport. To remedy the inefficiencies of the transport system in Nairobi, the government has currently ongoing plans which include the implementation of mass transit systems, such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), to improve public transport to potentially reduce the negative externalities caused by automobile dependency. This study seeks to understand, by means of a stated choice experiment, to what extent and under which conditions car commuters would be willing to use BRT. Responses were collected from 510 car commuters, on three different residential locations, 3, 6 and 10 km away from the central business district. Results of our binary logit model reveal that utility values attached to cost, travel time and comfort do vary spatially and for different income and age groups. Overall, our sample was positive towards shifting to a cost-time effective and comfortable BRT service. Comfort was the most valued aspect, followed by travel time and travel fare, indicating that respondents are willing to pay for a service that ultimately results in decreasing the time spent on commuting trips. This study also contributes to the limited literature on transport-related choice experiments in African contexts.