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Developing behavioral solutions to reduce fare evasion on buses
THE CUSTOMER: The Public Transportation Authority and Egged
Case Study
THE GOAL
The phenomenon of fare evasion on buses is prevalent in Israel and affects all public transport operators. Since the Open Access reform, which allows passengers to board and pay at any door, there has been a significant increase in the number of fare evaders. Egged estimates that the evasion rate currently reaches about 15 percent of all trips, causing losses of hundreds of millions of shekels. In collaboration with Egged and the Public Transportation Authority, we embarked on a project aimed at reducing this phenomenon.
THE RESEARCH
With the decision to focus on the changes brought by the reform, we delved into research that combined dozens of qualitative and quantitative research activities: interviews and observations with passengers and inspectors, an internet survey, and more.
From the research, a significant group of passengers was identified who board with the intention to pay but find themselves evading fare. We identified the conditions contributing to this behavior and the points in the "customer journey" where passengers are inclined to evade. One of the conditions identified was the change in the relationship between the operator and the passengers. Since the reform, the relationship is based on trust and personal responsibility. However, passengers do not understand them as such and do not act in a way that reflects this.
DEVELOPING THE SOLUTIONS
Based on the research insights, a design thinking process was carried out, including several ideation workshops with representatives of Egged and the Public Transportation Management. The process's outputs included a wide range of creative and practical solutions to the phenomenon of fare evasion. The solutions operate in various fields: changes in bus infrastructure, conducting marketing campaigns, updating inspector work, and more.
One of the solutions developed was the highlighting and accessibility of QR stickers used for payment in the app, alongside standardizing their location to create payment-encouraging habits in the boarding and payment scenario.
THE RESULT
12 developed and reasoned solutions that underwent a process of prioritization and adaptation to the needs and capabilities of the client. The solutions work in different ways to influence the behavior of the passengers and to reshape their perception of the importance of paying for the bus ride.
Currently, a pilot is being conducted to test the effectiveness of several selected solutions. The construction of the pilot, the implementation of the solutions, and the measurement of their impact are done with the close mentorship of our team.
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