Predictors of public transportation in Mashhad: A population‑based study

The development of public transportation (PT) is a crucial issue in the modern societies. The aim of this study was to assess the status of PT usage among the population residing in Mashhad.

In a cross‑sectional design, 464 citizens of Mashhad filled a checklist about PT‑use (i.e., bus, taxi, and metro) to find their supporting and opposing factors in 2014. Chi‑square, Mann–Whitney, Student’s t‑test, and logistic regressions were used for inferential analysis in SPSS 11.5.

Mean age was 30.02 ± 11.24 years and 57% (263) were female. Bus (169, 50%) was the most popular PT means, followed by metro (98, 29%) and taxi (74, 21%). Most transportations were happened at morning (248, 35%) and evening (221, 31%). Increasing age (odds ratio [OR] =1.04, confidence interval [CI] 95% = 1.008–1.07), higher education (OR = 2.91, CI 95% = 1.14–7.38), being homemaker (OR = 2.97, CI 95% = 1.19–7.36), or student (OR = 2.91, CI 95% = 1.14–7.38) were predictors of PT‑use.

Individual preference between PT and driving is associated with social, economic, and cultural aspects of a population. Recognizing the influencing factors can help to design population‑oriented services.