Understanding Stakeholder Preferences in Integrated Freight and Passenger Transport Systems

Abstract

Integrated Passenger–Freight Transport (IPFT) systems are increasingly proposed to improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and sustain service viability where conventional mobility options face pressure. Yet the conditions under which stakeholders are willing to participate remain underexplored. This study applies a mixed methods design to examine stakeholder evaluations of demand-responsive IPFT services. Two stated preference surveys were conducted in the Netherlands among passengers (N=166) and freight recipients (N=187), each combining rating and choice experiments. Comfort and delivery quality constructs derived from rating tasks were integrated into multinomial and panel mixed logit models. In parallel, five semi-structured interviews with public transport operators, logistics providers, and municipal actors were thematically analysed. Findings show convergence on spatial separation, predictable operations, and off-peak vehicle use, while divergences emerged over costs, staffing, service hours, and institutional responsibilities. The study shows that implementation requires stakeholder alignment and advances four scenario-based configurations to guide design and policy.