Role of Customized Bus Services in the Transportation System: Insight from Actual Performance

After attaining great prevalence from the end of 2013, customized bus (CB) transit services have experienced a huge decline in China. The feasibility of this new bus sharing system is thus being questioned. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate the actual role of CB services in the overall transportation system based on successful cases, as the role of the CB service determines its primary service object, system construction, marketing orientation, and even government function. To examine the role of CB services, this study investigates the practical performance, advantages, and spatial and temporal coverage of a successful CB system based on practical subscription data for more than two years. The results illustrate that the CB service is an eclectic choice that can balance service quality and cost between traveling by traditional public transportation (PT) and private cars/taxis. Even though the travel cost increased to a limited extent, the CB service significantly improved the travel experience in terms of the travel time, travel speed, number of stations, and difference arrival time compared to PT services. The multinomial logit model and regression models demonstrate a significant positive relationship between the relative advantage and amount of demand for the CB services. Furthermore, the CB service primarily serves trips generated during the peak traffic hours of the city and supplements traditional PT service in areas with poor coverage levels.