Abstract:
We know a lot about how commuters value average travel time, but surprisingly little about how they value certainty of travel time. This study defines unreliability and punctuality of travel time, and concentrates on punctuality. People in different occupational groups have different requirements for punctual arrival. They reserve different amounts of slack time before work start, and will pay different amounts to avoid a delay. One aspect of personality -- locus of control -- is shown to vary between occupational groups. Locus of control can be used to explain the seemingly paradoxical finding that those who state the highest need for punctuality are least likely to pay to circumvent traffic delays: the high need for punctuality is not the commuter's need, but the employer's.
Occupational differences are often amplified by gender segregation. The commuting differences between men and women have been explained previously by the greater family responsibilities of women. This study shows that the presence of young or school-age children does not affect women's decision to reserve slack time, but it does increase her willingness to pay to circumvent unexpected delays.
tr70.pdf