Public Transportation in Juárez, México: users’ perceptions of the service prior to the start of operations of the BRT-2 trunk route

Abstract

Providing safe, affordable, reliable, and quality public transportation systems for people requires paying attention to the needs of users. The objective of this paper was to know and analyze the perceptions of the user population of the service in Juarez, Mexico; prior to the pilot operation of the BRT-2 trunk route initiated in August 2022. The methodology is of a mixed approach and required documenting the regulatory framework that regulates this service, following up on the trunk route expansion plan, and performing three main tasks: I) collecting data with a standardized questionnaire previously validated with a pilot test; 2) statistically analyzing the results using SPSS v23 software and 3) performing a qualitative descriptive analysis based on open-ended questions, assessments of service users between 2016-2022 and reviewing newspaper records. The sample was two hundred people who had an active account in networks, some electronic devices, and internet access. The instrument was completed online in February 2022. Some results revealed that the transportation system in Juarez is inefficient, unsustainable, and insufficient and its level of quality is questionable. Lack of staff training, lack of passenger insurance, high fees, restricted schedules and routes, and an atmosphere of insecurity stand out in the perception, which does not contribute to the well-being of users. It is advisable to comply with urban regulations and operate effective intermodal schemes.