Exploring the perception of quality of life in urban daily commuting for sustainable urban transport in Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

Quality of life (QoL) in daily travel is increasing in popularity as a research topic since transportation infrastructures and services are instrumental in accessing basic services and social capital benefits in areas such as public health, employment, housing, etc. This accessibility has consequently led to improved QoL for the Bangkok population. In this study, the evaluation of the perception of QoL during the daily travel of Bangkokians in Sukhumvit District, Thailand is conducted using face-to-face interview questionnaires with 500 respondents. The structural equation model (SEM) is employed to quantify QoL and its related multidimensional determinants. Four statistically significant factors affect QoL from the travel perspective: (1) accessibility (p-value 0.001), (2) travel cost (p-value 0.05), (3) environment (p-value 0.05), and (4) information (p-value 0.05). Interestingly, accessibility was found to have the most influence on QoL in daily travel. Therefore, policymakers are recommended to consider the degree to which QoL may be affected to establish transportation policies that are more acceptable, practical, and efficient.