Determining the Factors Affecting the Behavior of Citizens in Using the Public Transportation System by the Tobit Model (Case Study: Mashhad)

The use of public transportation, along with benefits such as saving time, reducing fuel consumption, economic savings, reducing air pollution, reducing noise pollution, and proper safety, also increases the quality of urban life and increases social interactions. Therefore, understanding the demographic, technical-promotional and socio-cultural factors affecting the decision-making process of citizens in the use of public transport will play an important role in the planning and policy-making system in this area. In this study, to determine the behavior of citizens when using public transportation, a descriptive and analytical method with Tobit model has been used.The data was collected in 2019 and includes 300 citizens of Mashhad. The required data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity and reliability were confirmed. The results showed that the distance between the place of residence and the place of employment has a negative effect on the use of public transport system. But factors such as the presence of highly educated people in the family, access to bicycles, compliance with pollution control criteria at home, personal literacy and awareness of the long-term dangers of using a private vehicle, have positive impacts on the use of public transport systems. According to the findings, two suggestions were made: 1- Educating and informing citizens about the long-term dangers of private vehicles, and 2- Targeting literate households for citizenship education related to public transportation. These people can encourage citizens to be sustainable and protect the environment.