# Perceived Accessibility: Impact of Social Factors and Travel Modes in Melbourne's West
## 4 Discussion  
Against the backdrop of recent trends of increasing infrastructure development across metropolitan Melbourne, this study sought to examine the social value created by public transport services in Melbourne's west, one of the city's fastest-growing and -sprawling regions. Based on a questionnaire survey conducted in Point Cook, the largest suburb in the City of Wyndham, the study explored (1) perceptions of accessibility, safety, and service quality of public transport in supporting daily activities, and (2) how these perceptions are shaped by social and travel factors such as gender, age, and travel mode. The findings reveal that perceived accessibility to people's daily life activities is regarded reasonably highly (3.7 out of 5) when they use their existing travel mode, which is predominantly driving and public transport. However, this assessment is significantly reduced (2.8 out of 5) in a scenario where public transport is the only travel mode available in the study area. The respondents believed that their ease and satisfaction in performing their daily activities would be greatly hindered by travelling by public transport only. This decline in perceived accessibility was driven by the sharp drop in ratings among frequent car users. This result aligns with a study on residents in Malmo, Sweden, where car users reported lower perceived accessibility when car use was restricted [9]. The correlation of social features with perceived accessibility varied according to the findings of this study. Age was found to be a highly influential driver in determining perceived accessibility in both existing modes and public transport usage. The study found perceived accessibility in both instances (i.e., existing modes and public transport usage) to reduce as one aged, but more significant concerns were raised among older adults with regard to the accessibility of public transport services to them and other vulnerable populations. As raised by [PERSON] et al. (2016), it is crucial for a public transport service to be open and convenient to older adults [29]. Men perceived greater accessibility in relation to public transport than women, who had greater dissatisfaction in performing daily activities by public transport. Non-public transport users felt substantially less satisfied with carrying out their daily activities by relying largely on public transport, even if perceived accessibility does not appear to alter whether people choose their preferred travel modes. Concerns with the perceived safety of public transport were highlighted. The responses of the study participants confirmed insecure trip experiences of public transport use during night-time travels. An inherent implication of these findings is that design and environment factors are some of the most concerning factors and therefore influencing people's perceived safety. This is because people (especially women, older adults and infrequent users) found it more difficult and insecure to travel between public transport stations/stops and their homes/workplaces or wherever their trips originate or end in the study area at night. This aligns with a study by [PERSON] et al. (2018) [30]. As suggested by [PERSON] and [PERSON] (2021) in their Copenhagen study, it is true that the walking environment and station vicinity and characteristics are important factors affecting perceived safety of public transport usage [31]. The present study confirms that while improvement is required in the urban design and perhaps distance to stations/stops, increasing surveillance through installation of proper lighting, CCTV cameras, and increased police visibility may help improve safety perceptions, leading to an increase in the use of public transport. Regarding the perceived service quality of public transport, assurance and usability received higher rankings among the four components of perceived service quality.