Testpoint recently conducted a survey among urban public transport users in Rome to understand their travel ticket purchasing habits. 

Testpoint conducted the recruitment: 15 frequent users of urban public transport were identified and interviewed by the end customer directly in their offices. The objective of the research, conducted through qualitative interviews lasting approximately one hour, was to evaluate ticket distribution and purchase channels. 

Recruitment for qualitative interviews  

Today, urban mobility is evolving, and smartphone apps are a key component: citizens can more easily plan their trips by receiving information on their smartphones about schedules, travel times, bus stops, and even traffic conditions. All of this helps reduce uncertainty related to public transport. 

The way we purchase tickets for urban public transport is also changing: in addition to the traditional paper tickets sold at tobacconists, newsstands, or at ticket booths in metro stations, there are now dedicated apps, and in large cities, passengers can also purchase tickets on board the bus by simply swiping their credit card on the card reader.

Has the lives of those who regularly use public transport changed? What are the preferred purchasing methods today? What are the unmet needs? 

All were required to visit the client's offices for a qualitative interview lasting approximately 60 minutes. During the interview, under the guidance of a moderator, each respondent was asked to describe their travel ticket purchasing habits, focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of their usual methods and any difficulties they encountered, from obtaining paper tickets to navigating app websites or using ticket readers on buses.

Tutti si dovevano recare negli uffici del Cliente per un’intervista qualitativa della durata di circa 60 minuti. Nel corso dell’intervista, con la guida di un moderatore, ciascun rispondente  era invitato a descrivere le sue abitudini di acquisto dei titoli di viaggio, soffermandosi su vantaggi e svantaggi delle sue modalità abituali e su eventuali difficoltà riscontrate, dal reperimento dei biglietti cartacei alle difficoltà di navigazione nei siti delle app o all’utilizzo dei lettori ottici sui bus.