Abstract

Carbon emission is the largest contributor to the phenomenon of global warming and petroleum products are the largest source of carbon emission into the environment. Carbon emission cannot be eliminated, but it certainly can be reduced to a greater extent by way of efficient utilization of petroleum products for the regular commute. This can be attained by creating changes in the current public commuting system and also by a policy change in public transport system. This study has been formulated to examine the pattern of commuting, attitude and behavioural intention of daily commuter towards public road transport system in Tamil Nadu. A survey was carried out in the districts under Trichy and Salem - Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) zone. A sample of 770 daily commuters were surveyed in selected corridors of Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, Sivagangai, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Tiruchirapalli, Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Karur and Namakkal in Tamil Nadu. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) model was used to examine the behavioural intention of the daily commuters and to identify factors that contribute and influence commuters to use public transport. Results show that the attitude toward public transport is the most dominant factor compared with other constraints. Majority of the personal mode commuters agreed for switchover to the public transport if there are some improvements in certain aspects like additional bus service, routes and enhanced services, which shows an encouraging response for environmental consciousness. The outcomes of this study are significant as the results are showing a favourable possibility of less carbon emitting commuting system for Tamil Nadu.