Resources

The objective of this research project was to undertake primary market research in New Zealand, at an exploratory level, to gain greater understanding of car passengers’ valuations of travel time savings in a range of situations (including passenger valuations relative to when driving, and relative to car occupants as a group). Based on this exploratory research, the project assessed the priorities for a more extensive (quantitative) research programme, which will derive a new set of car passenger values for demand modelling and economic evaluation applications in New Zealand.

The research methodology focused on:

• Assessment of international (including New Zealand) literature, research and practice relating to valuations of car passenger travel time savings (in particular relative to the equivalent driver valuations).
• Exploratory (primary) market research with a small sample of New Zealand adults, to explore their attitudes and preferences to travelling as a car driver or passenger, including indications of their willingness-to-pay to save time in a variety of car travel situations (including as a solo driver, as a driver with adult/child passengers, as a passenger, and as one member of a car ‘group’).
• Development and comparative assessment of options for further New Zealand-based market research to establish willingness-to-pay valuations by car passengers (and drivers) in a range of car travel situations.

Keywords: car driver, car passenger, contingent valuation, market research, New Zealand, stated choice, stated preference, valuation, value of time (savings), willingness-to-pay