'Walk it, Bike it, Bus it': Perceptions of active modes of transport

Despite knowing that regular physical activity isgood for health, levels of physical activity inAustralia and overseas have declined. Contemporarytheoretical frameworks provide a more comprehensiveapproach to understanding human behaviour byintegrating biological and psychological factors withwider social, cultural and environmental influences.This approach suggests a need to identify legislative,policy, planning and design infrastructure factors thatcan contribute to supportive social, natural andconstructed environments to increase physical activity,especially incidentally for transport.This study investigated perceptions of active andalternative forms of transport to the motor vehicle asone way of increasing incidental physical activity.The research was conducted in a regional city in thesouth-west of Western Australia, where the localgovernment expressed interest in the findings to informstrategic transport planning.Modal transport choices were influenced by sevenkey factors: time, distance, purpose of trip,safety/security, social perceptions of transport andfeatures within the natural and built environment.Travel by public transport was mostly influenced byindividual factors: control, convenience and choice.Numerous individual, social and environmentalbarriers inhibit active modes of travel, especially bypublic transport.Many barriers are best addressed through anapproach that seeks to create supportive environmentsfor active transport through healthy public policy,supportive infrastructure and committed inter-sectoralpartnerships, such as with health, transport,planning, environment and local government.