Use of public transport among immigrants and non-native Finnish speakers

Abstract

Public transport is an important mode of transport among diverse groups of people which include immigrants and non-native Finnish speakers. To improve accessibility and inclusivity, it is crucial to understand their travel behaviors and the challenges they face while using public transport. This research mainly focuses on identifying the barriers that influence transport decisions among immigrants and non-native Finnish speakers in Tampere, Finland. The study is guided by the main research question: “What are the factors affecting public transport usage among immigrants and non-native Finnish speakers?”. To explore this further, the study addresses the following sub-research questions: (1) How do demographic factors such as age, gender, income, and length of residence in Finland affect public transport use and the use of other modes among immigrants and non-native Finnish speakers? (2) What are the barriers encountered and perceived by immigrants and non-native Finnish speakers when using public transport? (3) How do these barriers affect the use of public transport among immigrants and non-native Finnish speakers?

The data for this study was collected via online surveys and structured interviews with immigrants and non-native Finnish speakers. Fisher’s Exact Test was conducted for quantitative analysis to investigate connections between key variables. In terms of travel behaviors, the findings indicate that newly arrived immigrants, and those with lower yearly income are more dependent on public transport, but as their duration of residence in Finland increases, they tend to shift towards using private cars for their travel.

The results of the study indicated that cost of public transport is a major barrier which significantly affects public transport use, especially among newly arrived immigrants and those with lower incomes. Language difficulties, poor connectivity and comfort-related concerns were also highlighted as barriers affecting some proportion of immigrants. Discomfort about mixed-gender seating arrangement was reported by female immigrants. Although safety concerns were found to be not a significant barrier for most respondents, but those perceiving safety as barrier were mostly females. Additionally, language barrier was a challenge for some immigrants, particularly among immigrants with poor Finnish language proficiency.

The study concludes that although public transport usage frequency is high among immigrants and non-native Finnish speakers, however, several barriers affect its usage frequency among some portion of immigrants. Further increase in their public transport usage frequency could be possible if cost-related issues are addressed, multilingual information systems in public transport are implemented, connectivity is improved, and cultural sensitivities related to safety and seating arrangements is acknowledged. To better serve the diverse population and reduce transport poverty, future policies should focus on promoting inclusive and equitable transport systems.