User Perceptions of Digital and Service Features in Tampere’s Public Transport : A Survey Study of the Nysse System
Ikram, Amber (2026)
2026
Master's Programme in Sustainable Societies and Digitalisation
Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunta - Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2026-07-30
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202607248472
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202607248472
Tiivistelmä
This study evaluates the dimensions of service quality and smart mobility features of the Nysse public transport system in Tampere, Finland, from the perspective of its users. The study aims to answer the main research question: What is the users’ assessment of the current smart mobility attributes of the NYSSE public transport system? Specifically, it examines which features users evaluate most positively, which features receive the lowest evaluations, and the overall level of user satisfaction with the system.
A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed. During Spring 2025, a structured online questionnaire was distributed through Microsoft Forms to 60 current Nysse users. The questionnaire measured users' perceptions across four key dimensions: digital travel information, service reliability, route coverage and frequency, and ticketing experience. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, means, and standard deviations.
The findings indicate that digital ticketing and travel information received the highest evaluations. The highest mean scores were reported for mobile ticketing (SMART application) (M = 4.50), clarity of digital travel information through the Nysse application (M = 4.43), and ease of travel card payment (M = 4.41). In contrast, service reliability received comparatively lower ratings. The lowest-rated features were transfer convenience between buses and trams (M = 3.70), handling of service disruptions (M = 3.73), and bus punctuality (M = 3.77). On the single overall satisfaction item, respondents reported a moderate to high level of satisfaction with the Nysse public transport system (SD = 0.99), while value for money showed the greatest variation among the individual item ratings (SD = 1.26).
The findings suggest that Tampere has made significant progress in developing digital public transport services that users perceive as clear, accessible, and easy to use. However, improvements are still needed in service reliability, particularly in transfer coordination, punctuality, and communication during service disruptions. This study contributes context-specific descriptive evidence from a medium-sized Nordic city, a setting that has received relatively limited attention in the smart mobility literature. As the study was based on a small convenience sample, the findings should be interpreted with appropriate caution and cannot be generalized to the wider population.
A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed. During Spring 2025, a structured online questionnaire was distributed through Microsoft Forms to 60 current Nysse users. The questionnaire measured users' perceptions across four key dimensions: digital travel information, service reliability, route coverage and frequency, and ticketing experience. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, means, and standard deviations.
The findings indicate that digital ticketing and travel information received the highest evaluations. The highest mean scores were reported for mobile ticketing (SMART application) (M = 4.50), clarity of digital travel information through the Nysse application (M = 4.43), and ease of travel card payment (M = 4.41). In contrast, service reliability received comparatively lower ratings. The lowest-rated features were transfer convenience between buses and trams (M = 3.70), handling of service disruptions (M = 3.73), and bus punctuality (M = 3.77). On the single overall satisfaction item, respondents reported a moderate to high level of satisfaction with the Nysse public transport system (SD = 0.99), while value for money showed the greatest variation among the individual item ratings (SD = 1.26).
The findings suggest that Tampere has made significant progress in developing digital public transport services that users perceive as clear, accessible, and easy to use. However, improvements are still needed in service reliability, particularly in transfer coordination, punctuality, and communication during service disruptions. This study contributes context-specific descriptive evidence from a medium-sized Nordic city, a setting that has received relatively limited attention in the smart mobility literature. As the study was based on a small convenience sample, the findings should be interpreted with appropriate caution and cannot be generalized to the wider population.