“It is smarter to go by bike or car”

The views of children and parents about public transport in two cities

Abstract

Public transport is an important service which enables the mobility of children and young people. However, the use of public transport remains relatively low. Since 2017, the city of Mikkeli has offered free bus to students in comprehensive school. In this study, we examine the factors which promote or complicate children’s bus use. As a theoretic and analytic tool, we utilize a socio-ecological model. The data consists of an open-end Public Participatory GIS (PPGIS) survey of 10–12-year-old children (n=157 and n=295) and their guardians (n=27), and the qualitative interviews of 11 children and 11 parents living in Mikkeli or Kouvola. The data was analyzed using theory-based content analysis. In the socio-ecological model, the most common level in the children’s open-end survey answers was their physical environment: buses are used for long journeys, if it is not possible to get a ride from adults. Additionally, using the bus was seen to be more difficult when buses operated infrequently, or the routes were impractical for the interviewees. Bicycles and cars were considered faster and easier modes of transport than buses. However, buses were seen as beneficial and to facilitate children’s independent traveling. The results of this study are topical and can be...