Analysis of Awareness and Use of Traffic
Information System with Revealed
Preference Data
Case Study of Klang Valley, Malaysia
Hooi Ling Khoo and Ghim Ping Ong
To alleviate traffic congestion on Malaysia’s highways and roads, the Inte-
grated Transport Information System (ITIS) was established in Klang
Valley, Malaysia, to collect and disseminate updated traffic information.
One important aspect of this system is the use of various traffic infor-
mation tools [Internet, radio, and variable message signs (VMS)] in dis-
seminating traffic information pretrip and en route. To investigate the
effectiveness of ITIS, this paper assesses the level of awareness and use
of ITIS in the Klang Valley region. Using a revealed preference survey
and adopting a discrete choice modeling approach, researchers found
that the level of awareness (58% for VMS, 22% for radio pretrip, 48%
for radio en route, and 12% for Internet) and use (29% change depar-
ture time and 22% divert) of ITIS were low in the region. Driver demo-
graphics had little impact on the awareness and use of ITIS, whereas trip
characteristics played an important role. Drivers in the Klang Valley
region had limited trust in the accuracy of data provided by ITIS and
did not perceive such data to be useful in reducing their travel time.
These findings demonstrate the need for strategies to improve awareness
of ITIS and to increase its credibility.
It is generally accepted today that one cannot build one’s way out of
traffic congestion. As such, many megacities in developing countries
are exploring various traffic management alternatives and intelligent
transportation system options to manage congestion on roadways.
In particular, many developing countries have explored the develop-
ment of an advanced traveler information system (ATIS) within their
intelligent transportation systems to disseminate timely traffic infor-
mation to travelers which allows them the flexibility to select their
most preferred routes and transport modes.
The effectiveness of ATIS in traffic management depends on the
driver’s perception of the system (i.e., awareness of the system’s
availability—whether drivers are aware of the existence of various
ATIS tools and the type of traffic information each tool delivers) and
use of the system (whether a driver decides to change his or her route
or transport mode on the basis of the information provided by the
ATIS tools). The commonly available pretrip ATIS tools are radio,
H. L. Khoo, Department of Civil Engineering, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan
Genting Kelang, Setapak, 53300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. G. P. Ong, Depart-
ment of Civil Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117576 Singapore.
Corresponding author: H. L. Khoo, khoohl@utar.edu.my.
Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board,
No. 2239, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington,
D.C., 2011, pp. 101–111.
DOI: 10.3141/2239-12
101
television, Internet, and phone calls. Radio, variable message signs
(VMS) and in-vehicle guidance systems can be used en route.
In Europe and North America (1–12), numerous research efforts
have investigated drivers’ awareness and use of ATIS tools. Table 1
summarizes some of the studies obtained from the literature. Most
research has been focused on VMS, and little research has been done
on other ATIS tools. More important, the factors affecting the level of
awareness and use of ATIS tools differ from city to city, indicating
that findings are often not transferable geographically.
In recent years, studies on driver behavior upon receiving VMS
information were carried out in developing Asian cities. Table 2 sum-
marizes this research (13–19). Many of these studies were focused
on the receptivity of using VMS information to change travel pat-
terns and on establishing factors affecting this receptivity. How-
ever, little work in developing Asian countries has been done to study
whether VMS are preferred over existing means of traffic informa-
tion dissemination (such as radio and Internet) and why drivers
choose to change their travel patterns in terms of route choice and
departure time.
Noting the need to understand these factors to allow for better
traffic management and realizing that Asian drivers are intrinsically
different from their American and European counterparts, researchers
aimed to investigate how aware travelers in the cities of developing
countries, in particular the Klang Valley region in Malaysia, are of
the availability of different traffic information dissemination means
and how they perceive and use the information in their daily travels.
The paper first investigates the level of awareness of three different
information dissemination tools within the ATIS (Internet, radio,
and VMS). Surveys were performed in the Klang Valley region of
Malaysia, and models were developed to investigate the factors that
can affect the level of awareness for each means of information dis-
semination. Then researchers investigated whether the traffic infor-
mation received from the ATIS was used. Through the use of discrete
choice models, use of traffic information can be measured in terms of
the probability of travel patterns adjustments (such as route diversion
and changing of departure time for travel).
STUDY AREA
The area chosen for this study is the Klang Valley region, which
includes Kuala Lumpur (the capital of Malaysia) and its neighbor-
ing suburban cities and towns. The region is located in the state of
Selangor and is the nation’s main industrial and commercial region.
102
TABLE 1 Summary of Findings from Past Research on Awareness and Use of Traffic Information Dissemination Tools:
North America and Europe
City
Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1)
North East Warrington, United Kingdom (2)
Northwestern Indiana (3)
Amsterdam, Netherlands (4)
Seattle, Washington (5)
Austin, Texas (6)
Seattle, Washington (7)
Eleven U.S. states (8)
Seattle, Washington (5)
Paris (9)
Los Angeles, California (10)
Orlando, Florida (11)
San Francisco, California (12)
Transportation Research Record 2239
Major Findings
Factors affecting VMS awareness
Frequency of drivers encountering VMS signboards
Perceive usefulness of VMS information
Trust on information provided (accuracy and reliability)
Factors affecting VMS awareness
Content of message
Relative journey times in normal conditions
Drivers’ characteristics
Factors affecting VMS awareness
Content of message
Drivers’ economic characteristics
Network spatial knowledge
Confidence in displayed information
Factors affecting propensity to use radio
Length of trip
Types of trip
Drivers’ demographics
Alternative route availability
Level of satisfaction with alternative routes, type (toll/highway/streets), and distance
Positive correlation between VMS and radio
97% of drivers preferred commercial radio
Rank of preference of ATIS tools is: radio, VMS, highway advisory radio, television, phone
Correlation between TV, radio, and VMS
Females are more likely to receive traffic information from TV, VMS, radio
Older and female drivers more likely to listen to radio to obtain traffic information
Commuters tend to switch route and departure time choice rather than route choice alone
Females change travel patterns more often than males
49% of drivers preferred to get information from website
22% of drivers actually use the information obtained from website
There are 6 important factors that affect ATIS effectiveness: regional context, awareness,
nature of trips, information quality, delay, availability of alternative
Factors affecting awareness to traffic information availability
Socioeconomics
Habitual travel pattern
Congestion levels
Attitude toward technology
Males are less likely to perceive traffic information as important
Drivers with higher income are less likely to view traffic information
Households with higher vehicle ownership are more likely to view traffic information
Drivers are more likely to change their routes from work than from home
Drivers are more likely to divert to known routes compared to unknown routes
Drivers who change route affected by
Traffic message
Traffic congestion
Time of day
Weather
Time pressure
2–4% of drivers are influenced by pretrip information
Females are more reluctant to alter routes
70% of respondents indicated that they will change route choice
35% of respondents had actually changed their route choice
Factors affecting route choice
Travel time is not dominant in route choice criterion
Male is more risk prone and willing to change route
Commuters value and use pretrip information more than en route information
Drivers’ who perceived higher information reliability more prone to route change
Drivers traveling on longer distance tend to choose alternative roads
Drivers’ age and income do not affect route diversion
High educated drivers more likely to divert
Qualitative information is more beneficial than quantitative information
Severe weather information increases the compliance with pretrip and enroute information
Drivers being away from origin or close to destination increase enroute compliance
Percentage of drivers on route choice change: 30%–84%
Percentage of drivers on departure time choice change: 13%–44%
Khoo and Ong 103

TABLE 2 Summary of Findings from Past Research on Awareness and Use of Traffic Information
Dissemination Tools: Asia

City Major Findings

Tokyo (13) Factors affecting route choice

Beijing (14)
Guongzhou, China (15)
Taiwan, China (16)
Bangkok, Thailand (17)
Bandung, Indonesia (18)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (19)
Intended choice prior to receiving information
Accuracy of information
Trip purpose
Drivers’ familiarity with the network
Route choice depended on traffic situation and driving experience
Drivers tendency of diversion increased with increased driving experience
79% of drivers perceive VMS as useful
35% of drivers agreed that VMS could reduce traffic congestion
27% of drivers agreed that VMS could reduce traffic accident
31% of drivers will divert upon receiving queue information
98% of drivers will divert upon receiving traffic congestion information
63% of drivers said that they would divert given the traffic information
81% perceive that VMS is useful
54% satisfied with the information delivered via VMS
However, 63% of drivers are not aware of VMS
Awareness of traffic information availability via VMS is affected by
Gender: female more aware of information
Age: elderly more aware of information
Education level: those with lower education level more aware of information
Route diversion affected by
Daily mileage
Education level
Age
Gender
Awareness of VMS is found to be not statistically significant as the direct determinant for
stated route diversion
4%–10% of drivers choose alternative roads
An analysis of traffic flow shows that VMS could reduce travel time by 19.7% and the
occupancy is shortened by 5.3%

Figure 1 shows the location of Klang Valley and its suburban cities.
Over the years, the region has achieved strong economic growth com-
pared with other states in Malaysia, and this growth has resulted in
migration from other states. Population in the region grew from 4 mil-
lion in 2004 to 6 million in 2007. Along with the region’s growth in
economy and increase in population size, the number of private vehi-
cles has also increased by about 50%, growing from 2.2 million in
1996 to 5.5 million in 2008. About 55% of these vehicles are private
cars, 35% are motorcycles, 0.37% are buses, 0.59% are taxis, 5% are
trucks, and 4% are other types of vehicles (21). Use of private trans-
portation has also increased, and the modal split of private vehicles to
public transportation changed from 75% to 25% in 1985 to 84% to
16% in 2006. The increased use of automobiles has resulted in traffic
congestion in the region, causing average traffic speeds on the major
roads to be reduced to a critical level.
In 2005, the Malaysian government decided to develop a traffic
information system to help improve the current traffic management sys-
tem used in the Klang Valley region. The traffic information system
developed by City Hall, Kuala Lumpur, the governing authority of the
region, combined the existing advanced traffic management system and
ATIS into the Integrated Transport Information System (ITIS). ITIS
collects traffic data from detectors and closed-circuit television cameras
installed on the roadways ITIS is also equipped with an automatic
incident detection system to detect the occurrence of unexpected inci-
dents. The Transport Management Centre is set up to process, man-
age, and analyze the traffic data. The center then disseminates the
updated near-real-time traffic information to drivers in the region.
Currently, the system covers all major roads in the Kuala Lumpur
Federal territory. A total of more than 200 km of roads, which
includes 45 arterial roads, is monitored (20). The system was devel-
oped with a cost of 365 million Malaysian ringgit (RM) (approxi-
mately $100 million; $1 = 3.60 RM, in 2010 dollars). This large-scale
project involved the installation of more than 250 closed-circuit tele-
vision cameras for traffic monitoring at key intersections, 700 video
vehicle detector stations, 140 VMS, and 1,600 vehicle tracking
units to serve as dynamic probes. Various ITIS tools are used to dis-
seminate traffic information. The most common tools are Internet,
radio, and VMS. The ITIS online portal (22) provides real-time
traffic information on roadways over the Internet. Recently, another
website (www.llmtraffik.com.my) was set up by the Malaysia Highway
Authority to provide real-time traffic information on most of the express-
ways in the Klang Valley region. Besides the Internet, one can also rely
on either VMS or radio for updated traffic information. For example,
myFM (101.8 Hz) periodically reports traffic conditions in the region
from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
METHODOLOGY
Survey
A revealed preference questionnaire was designed to investigate driv-
ers’ awareness and use of ITIS. An excerpt from the questionnaire
is shown in Figure 2.
104
FIGURE 1 Klang Valley area and study area (20).
The questionnaire is composed of three sections. Section I covers
the socioeconomic and travel characteristics of the drivers. Socio-
economic characteristics include gender, race, age, monthly income,
education level, household size, and number of working adults and
number of vehicles in the house. For the travel-related characteris-
tics, respondents estimated their average weekly travel time and dis-
tance traveled. Section II of the questionnaire is divided into three
subsections to study awareness and use of ITIS, namely Internet,
radio, and VMS. Questions asked in each subsection include the fre-
quency of the tool being used to obtain traffic information, trip pur-
pose, and number of trips generated weekly. The respondents are
then asked to provide reasons for not adopting any particular traffic
dissemination tool. For radio, an additional question is asked to
check if the respondent is aware of traffic information availability
by other means (pretrip and en route). Section III of the question-
naire is related to the use of traffic information in respondents’ trav-
els. Use of traffic information is tracked by checking whether drivers
have made changes in their departure time choice, route choice, or
both after receiving information from each tool. In cases in which
respondents chose not to make any adjustments after receiving the
traffic information, they were asked to provide a reason. Lastly, the
respondents were asked about their opinion of ITIS. They were
asked to express on a five-point Likert scale (strongly disagree to
strongly agree) their opinions on the usefulness, accuracy, and reli-
Transportation Research Record 2239
ability of ITIS and their expected benefits from the implementation
of ITIS.
The survey was conducted from October 2, 2009, to December
31, 2009, in the Klang Valley region. A team of 15 trained inter-
viewers conducted surveys at shopping malls, petrol kiosks (filling
stations), schools, and other facilities in the region. Target respon-
dents were drivers with valid licenses and sufficient driving experi-
ence; 1,506 respondents were interviewed. Table 3 summarizes the
characteristics of the respondents.
Discrete Choice Models
Discrete choice models were developed to represent the level of aware-
ness and use of ITIS. The level of awareness can be represented by a
five-point-scale: never, once in a month, once in a week, two to five
times in a week, and daily. The model scale resembles the Likert scale,
in which the responses are discrete ordered variables. Ordered proba-
bility models are a form of discrete outcome models that relate the
dependent variables (in an ordered discrete scale) to independent vari-
ables, which can be continuous or discrete. If the levels of awareness
for two traffic information dissemination tools, for example, radio and
VMS, are expected to share some unobserved correlation, a bivariate
ordered probit model can be modeled. It is derived by defining
Khoo and Ong 105

FIGURE 2 Excerpt from questionnaire form.

106 Transportation Research Record 2239

TABLE 3 Characteristics of Respondents

Variable Category Percentage Variable Category Percentage

Gender Male 51 Household size ≤2 18

Female 49 3–6 68
Race Malay 28 ≥7 14
Chinese 56 Number of working ≤2 56
Indian 15 adults in a household 3–6 42
Age (years) 18–28 58 ≥7 2
29–38 24
39–47 12 Vehicle ownership in a 1 38
48–57 5 household 2 32
>57 1 3 18
≥4 12
Monthly income <1,500 33
(RM) 1,501–3,500 49 Average weekly travel ≤5 35
3,501–7,000 16 time (h) 6–12 46
>7,001 2 >12 19
Education level SPM or SPTMa 23 Average weekly travel ≤50 32
Certificate or diploma 26 distance (km) 51–150 42
Bachelor’s degree 44 >151 26
Master’s and above 3
Others 5

a
SPM or SPTM = high school or pre-university.

unobserved variables y*ji, which are defined as linear functions for each where [⑀i1, ⑀i2] ∼ BVN [0, 0, 1, 1, ρ], −1, < ρ < 1, which takes the
observation as follows: same definition as mentioned above; BVN is bivariate normal.

y*ji = ␤j ⌾ji + ⑀ji (1)

MODELING RESULTS AND ANALYSES
where
The findings obtained from the survey are discussed in this section.
Xji = vector of independent variables for tool j for observation i, Discrete outcome models were developed to study the significance
␤j = vector of estimable parameters for tool j, and of each variable in contributing to awareness and use of ITIS.
⑀ji = random disturbances assumed normally distributed with
mean equal to zero and variance equal to one.
For a pair of ordered probit models, the random disturbances ITIS Awareness
could be linked by Cor(⑀1i, ⑀2i) = ρ. Accordingly, the observed ordinal
data yji for each observation is defined as Awareness of the availability of traffic information via various ITIS
tools, namely Internet, radio, and VMS, is first investigated. In par-
ticular, this paper investigates whether respondents are aware of these
⎧0 if y ji* ≤ 0
⎪ tools pretrip (Internet, radio, and VMS) and en route (radio and VMS).
yji = ⎨1 if 0 ≤ y ji* ≤ μ1 (2) The level of awareness is expressed as the frequency of drivers obtain-
⎪ 2, . . . , and so on j = 1, 2
⎩ ing the traffic information from the tools. Higher frequency of obtain-
ing traffic information via these tools means that drivers are highly
where μ are the estimable thresholds that define y. The ␤ in Equation aware of the traffic information availability of ITIS tools.
1 does not imply the effect of the changes of X on y*ji. The effect of
the changes should be checked according to the marginal effect com-
putation. If j = 1, a (single) ordered probit model is obtained. If the Awareness of ITIS Tools Pretrip
response is not ordinal, but in a form of binary (i.e., yes/no or 1/0), a
bivariate probit model can be established. The bivariate probit model It is important to understand whether drivers are aware that traffic
is appropriate to represent the response of respondents in surveying information is available through ITIS tools for trip planning purposes
their decisions on whether to adjust departure time choice and route before they embark on their journeys. The information could be static
choice. In this case, the formulation of the model is as follows: or dynamic (real-time). Internet and radio are the two common ITIS
tools available to disseminate pretrip information. An ordered probit
yi*1 = β1x i1 + ⑀ i1 model was developed to describe the pretrip models. Preliminary sta-
tistical analyses found little correlation between respondents who use
⎧1 if yi*1 > 0 the Internet and those who use radio to obtain traffic information [i.e.,
yi1 = ⎨
⎩ yi1 = 0 otherwise Cor(⑀1i, ⑀2i) = ρ is insignificant]. Respondents who use the Internet to
obtain travel information are proactive in searching for relevant informa-
yi*2 = β 2 x i 2 + ⑀ i 2
tion that can improve trip efficiency. However, those who use radio tend
⎧1 if yi*2 > 0 to be passive in nature and receive traffic information as a by-product of
yi 2 = ⎨ (3)
⎩ yi 2 = 0 otherwisse radio entertainment.
Khoo and Ong 107

TABLE 4 Ordered Probit Model for Internet Awareness TABLE 5 Ordered Probit Model for Radio Awareness

Variable Coefficient t-Statistic Variable Coefficient t-Statistic

Constant −2.855 −2.147 Constant −2.432 −2.602

Income (0: <RM 1,500; 1: RM 1,501–3,500; 0.293 2.623 Household size (0: ≤2; 1: 3–6; 2: ≥7) −0.234 −2.006
2: RM 3,501–7,000; 3: >RM 7,001) Weekly average traveling time −0.370 −3.636
Weekly average traveling time −0.640 −4.373 (0: ≤5hours; 1: 6–12 hours; 2: >12 hours)
(0: ≤5 hours; 1: 6–12 hours; 2: >12 hours) Weekly average traveling distance 0.372 3.758
Weekly average traveling distance 0.515 3.929 (0: ≤50km; 1: 51–150 km; 2: >151km)
(0: ≤50 km; 1: 51–150 km; 2: >151 km) Trip purpose
Weekly trip frequency (0: ≤3; 1: 5; 2: ≥6) 0.835 6.58 Work trips (0: no; 1: yes) 2.948 14.899
Trip purpose Shopping trips (0: no; 1: yes) 2.529 12.429
Work trips (0: no; 1: yes) 2.854 11.655 School trips (0: no; 1: yes) 2.835 14.109
School trips (0: no; 1: yes) 3.543 9.298 Shopping trips (0: no; 1: yes) 2.428 10.065
Social trips (0: no; 1: yes) 3.151 12.179 Frequency of trips generated 0.823 10.039
Restricted log likelihood −709.8 (0: ≤3; 1: 5; 2: ≥6)
Log likelihood at convergence −230.6 Restricted log likelihood −1,375.27
R2 .675 Log likelihood at convergence −560.15
R2 .593
NOTE: μ1 = 2.39; μ2 = 3.04; μ3 = 3.70
NOTE: μ1 = 0.702; μ2 = 1.304; μ3 = 2.207.

Internet An ordered probit model is developed to represent the

level of awareness (measured in terms of frequency of usage) of the
Internet as a source for traffic information. Table 4 shows the mod-
eling results. The following factors are significant in promoting the
awareness (or selection) of the Internet as a preferred information
dissemination tool:
• Socioeconomic characteristics of travelers. Travelers with higher
personal income tend to use the Internet as a traffic dissemination tool
because they tend to have Internet service at home.
• Trip characteristics. Internet tends to be used for pretrip infor-
mation checking for travelers who spend a longer time or travel a
longer distance on the road, possibly because these travelers per-
ceive that pretrip travel information can aid in improving trip effi-
ciency and reduce total travel time. More trips tend to be induced
when the Internet is habitually used to seek travel information.
Trip information from the Internet is found to be useful for work
trips, school trips, and social (recreational and shopping) trips.
From the survey, 88% of the respondents had never visited traf-
fic information websites (22), indicating that market penetration of
the Internet as a traffic information dissemination tool is still low.
When asked to cite the reason for not visiting such websites, 70% of
the respondents mentioned that they were not aware of the existence
of websites. After the respondents were informed of the websites,
67% mentioned that they would visit the websites at least once
in the next 3 months to obtain traffic information. Among those
respondents who were aware of and had visited the websites, 55%
of them had obtained route information through the feature called
journey planner, 23% used the road congestion map feature to
obtain traffic jam information, and 24% viewed the real-time traffic
video stream.
Radio Most of the radio channels in Malaysia provide brief traffic
information updates (such as incident locations and congested high-
ways or roads) within their programs. The survey revealed that 22%
of the respondents obtain traffic information by radio before their
trip, indicating a low market penetration for radio as a source of pre-
trip travel information. However, this percentage (22%) is still higher
than those respondents who use the Internet (12%) as a source of traf-
fic information. Drivers might be already listening to radio for enter-
tainment, and the traffic updates are a by-product, allowing listeners
to make travel adjustments upon receiving the latest traffic update.
An ordered probit model was developed, and the modeling results
are shown in Table 5. The following factors are significant in pro-
moting the awareness (or selection) of radio as a preferred pretrip
travel information source:
• Household size. Travelers from a smaller household size use
radio as a source for traffic information. This usage is similar to
results found for the Internet, indicating that smaller households
tend to be more proactive in seeking pretrip traffic information.
• Trip characteristics. Similar to results for the Internet, radio tends
to be used for pretrip information by travelers who spend a longer time
or distance on the road. Also, more trips are induced when radio is
habitually used to seek travel information, and trip information from
the radio is found to be useful for work trips, school trips, and social
(recreational and shopping) trips.
Awareness of ITIS Tools En Route
Two common types of ITIS tools used in dissemination of en route
traffic information are radio and VMS. Preliminary analyses have
shown that there is a correlation in user behavior for these two tools.
Thus, a bivariate ordered probit model was developed to aid in
investigating the factors that can affect the level of awareness of in
ITIS tools en route.
About 48% and 58% of the respondents were aware of the traf-
fic information disseminated by radio and VMS, respectively.
Table 6 shows the bivariate probit modeling results. The table
shows that there is a positive correlation (ρ = 0.457) between radio
and VMS, indicating that there are probably some shared unobserved
attributes in the users of these two tools. The following observations
can be made:
• Radio is more popular in households with more working adults.
108 Transportation Research Record 2239

TABLE 6 Bivariate Ordered Probit Models for Radio and VMS or road closures on their usual routes. En route information is more
likely to influence respondents’ route choice. When they know
Variable Coefficient t-Statistic where there is congestion, drivers can decide whether to divert to
Radio alternative routes.
The use of pretrip and en route ITIS information can result in
Constant −0.568 −1.172
changes in travel departure time, route, or both, so it is natural to
Frequency of trips (0: ≤3; 1: 5; 2: ≥6) 0.185 5.347
investigate ITIS use by analyzing whether drivers made any changes
Types of trip to their original departure time and route. A bivariate probit model
Work trips (0: no; 1: yes) 0.280 3.736
Social trips (0: no; 1: yes) 0.353 5.002 was developed in anticipation of a correlation between changes in
Shopping trips (0: no; 1: yes) 0.282 3.990 departure time choice and route choice. If travelers are willing to
Number of working adults in a 0.150 3.375 adjust their original departure times, this willingness shows that they
household (0: ≤2; 1: 3–6; 2: ≥7) are sensitive and more willing to accept the traffic information.
VMS Thus, travelers should also show similar behavior in changing the
Constant −0.749 −1.455 route choice, unless other factors prevent them from doing so. Table 7
Monthly income (0: <RM 1,500; 1: −0.005 −20.442
shows the results of the models.
RM 1,501–3,500; 2: RM 3,501–7,000; From the survey, 29% of the respondents noted that they would
3: >RM 7,001) shift their departure time upon receiving traffic information. Out of
Education level (0: high school; −0.001 −7.294 these respondents, 32% and 4.8% cited their desire to avoid heavy
1: diploma; 2: degree; traffic congestion and slow-moving traffic conditions, respectively.
3: master’s and above) Respondents who tend to change their departure time choices have
Vehicle ownership in a household −0.090 −3.245 the following characteristics:
(0:1; 1:2; 2:3; 3: ≥4)
Weekly average traveling time −0.119 −2.159 • They tend to perceive VMS as useful tools.
(0: ≤5 hours; 1: 6–12 hours;
2: >12 hours) • They tend to generate work trips and school trips. This group
Trip frequency 0.471 11.493 of respondents has fixed travel patterns (i.e., departure time and
Trip purpose
route). Forty-four percent of the respondents said that they would
Work trips (0: no; 1: yes) 0.109 2.470 change their departure time if they know beforehand that there is
Social trips (0: no; 1: yes) −0.203 −3.200 traffic congestion on the routes they frequently use.
Shopping trips (0: no; 1: yes) 0.132 2.816 • Ninety percent of the respondents who have chosen to change
Restricted log likelihood −2,549.8 their departure time upon receiving traffic information from ITIS
Log likelihood at convergence −1,367.0 commented that the information obtained was less accurate. This
McFadden pseudo–R-squared .464
Correlation, ρ 0.460 response shows that the system has technical limitations in com-
Radio: μ1 = 0.129, μ2 = 0.386, μ3 = 1.622 puting accurate travel speed on the roads and could not predict the
VMS: μ1 = 0.961, μ2 = 3.423 traffic situation in the near future.

• Respondents with lower incomes and educational levels are
more aware of VMS.
• Respondents with lower vehicle ownership tend to be aware of
the information delivered by VMS.
• Both tools tend to be used to obtain en route traffic information
for work, school, and social (shopping and recreational) trips.
• When the trip frequency increases, both tools tend to be used
for obtaining traffic information.
Besides these observations, respondents have noted that the most
useful information from VMS is the general information on scheduled
events. Also, 76% of the respondents perceived VMS to be useful in
aiding route choice en route.
ITIS Use
Besides the awareness of the availability of traffic information
via ITIS tools, another important aspect is the use of traffic infor-
mation obtained from these tools. Pretrip traffic information can
influence the choice of departure time. For example, drivers can
choose to start their trips earlier or later if there are planned events
Of the respondents who did not change departure time even though
the tools warned of ongoing congestion, 27% said that they were not
sure whether they could avoid traffic congestion by doing so, 17%
said that they did not trust the information given, and 10.4% said
that they believed that the traffic congestion would be cleared by the
time they reached the scene.
In terms of adjusting their routes, 26% of the respondents noted
that they will divert to or choose alternative routes. The factors cited
by drivers that could encourage them to divert are heavy traffic con-
ditions (35%), slow-moving traffic conditions (5.7%), and roads
under maintenance (1.85%). For those who chose not to divert to
alternative routes, 45% said that they were not convinced that the
alternative routes would have better traffic conditions, 18% men-
tioned that the alternative roads are toll roads and they are not will-
ing to pay to use them, 13% noted that they do not know the alternative
routes, 12% were afraid that they might lose their way if they trav-
eled on the alternative routes, and 12% believed that the alternative
routes were longer in distance. To summarize, the propensity of
diverting depends on the drivers’ familiarity with the road network,
the traffic conditions (i.e., travel speed) of the roads, and the toll
amount that needs to be paid. Respondents who tend to divert have
the following characteristics:
• They tend to be more aware of VMS and perceive them as
useful.
Khoo and Ong 109

TABLE 7 Departure Time and Route Choice Bivariate Probit Model

Variable Coefficient t-Statistic

Departure Time Choice

Constant −1.551 −0.567
Perceived VMS usefulness (0: not useful; 1: useful) 0.377 2.156
Perceived information accuracy (0: strongly disagree; −0.309 −3.323
1: disagree; 2: neutral; 3: agree; 4: strongly agree)
Ranks of tools in terms of usefulness (1: best; 3: worst)
Radio 0.350 6.321
VMS 0.104 2.104
Trip purpose
Work trips (0: no; 1: yes) 1.440 7.400
School trips (0: no; 1: yes) 1.213 5.154
Shopping trips (0: no; 1: yes) 0.909 4.227
Contributing factors
Heavy traffic conditiona (0: no; 1: yes) 1.674 8.271
Slow-moving traffic conditiona (0: no; 1: yes) 1.429 4.952
Route Choice
Constant −1.707 −1.113
Frequency of listening to radio pretrip (0: never; 0.198 4.803
1: once/month; 2: once/week; 3: 2–5 times/week; 4: daily)
Frequency of reading VMS messages (0: never; 0.209 3.977
1: rarely; 2: occasionally; 3: every time)
Perceived VMS usefulness (0: not useful; 1: useful) 0.332 2.309
Perceived information accuracy (0: strongly disagree; −0.316 −3.218
1: disagree; 2: neutral; 3: agree; 4: strongly agree)
Perceived travel time savings (0: strongly disagree; −0.298 −3.640
1: disagree; 2: neutral; 3: agree; 4: strongly agree)
Ranks of tools in terms of usefulness (1: best; 3: worst)
Radio 0.165 3.382
Contributing factors
Heavy traffic conditiona (0: no; 1: yes) 0.797 4.137
Slow-moving traffic conditiona (0: no; 1: yes) 0.882 4.051
Trip purpose
Work trips (0: no; 1: yes) 1.706 9.442
Social trips (0: no; 1: yes) 1.068 5.753
Shopping trips (0: no; 1: yes) 0.838 5.058
School trips (0: no; 1: yes) 2.269 8.353
Log likelihood at convergence −748.51
Correlation, ρ 0.486
Tetrachoric correlation 0.713

a
Heavy traffic condition refers to a level of service of E or F; slow-moving traffic condition refers
to a level of service of C or D.

• They are more likely to obtain pretrip traffic information from
radio, but perceive radio as less useful than VMS.
• Eighty-six percent of the respondents who have diverted to
alternative routes found that the information is less accurate.
Fifty-five percent of them commented that there is no travel time
savings by diversion. This result is because drivers can obtain
only partial information on the overall road network from radio
or VMS. In addition, ITIS does not provide any advice on the
alternative routes travelers should choose. This lack of informa-
tion has limited travelers in choosing the best routes to save travel
time.
• Respondents tend to divert to alternative routes when traffic
conditions are heavy and slow moving.
• Respondents tend to divert for work trips, social trips, shopping
trips, and school trips.
COMMENTS ON TRAFFIC INFORMATION
SYSTEM RECEPTIVITY IN THE KLANG
VALLEY REGION
From the questionnaire survey and the analyses presented, it was
found that the awareness level of the traffic information system
availability is low in the Klang Valley region compared with find-
ings from past studies. The frequency of ITIS tools being used to
obtain traffic information is 12% for Internet, 22% for pretrip radio,
48% for radio en route, and 58% for VMS. When these results are
compared against the findings from other countries, it is obvious that
the level of awareness of the availability of traffic information via
ITIS is low. In the United States, 22% used the Internet (7), 97.6%
used commercial radio (5), and 50% relied on VMS (4). In the
United Kingdom, 40% used pretrip radio (9). In Taiwan, 37% of
110
respondents were aware of VMS (16), and in Athens, Greece, 36.8%
used pretrip radio and 37.7% used radio en route (23).
Among the three tools examined in the Klang Valley region,
VMS are the most popular and are widely adopted by drivers to
obtain traffic information. Internet has the lowest usage, and many
respondents were not aware of the availability of websites. Radio is
frequently used to obtain traffic information en route compared with
pretrip.
The level of use of ITIS tools (measured in terms of the adjust-
ment of departure time and route choice) is also low. Only 26%
and 24% of the respondents expressed a willingness to shift
their departure time and change to alternative routes, respectively.
About 17% of the respondents claimed that they would do both.
Compared with the findings from other countries, the level of use
in the Klang Valley region is relatively low. In the United States,
13% to 44% of respondents will shift departure time (12) and
30% to 84% will change route choice (12). In the United Kingdom,
50% to 70% will change their route. In Athens, Greece, 54% will
change their route (23). In Bandung, Indonesia, 4% to 10% will
change their route (18), and in China, 33.5% to 88.7% will change
their route (14).
The differences in the levels of awareness and use compared
with other cities can be attributed to a few factors that are unique
to the Klang Valley region. First, the awareness of the availability
of ITIS tools is influenced by trip characteristics rather than the
drivers’ demographic characteristics. Drivers on work trips and
those who generate more trips in a week are more aware of traffic
information via various ITIS tools. Besides, they are more willing
to adjust their departure time than diverting to alternative roads.
Second, many drivers in the region do not perceive that diverting
their routes pretrip or en route can help in reducing travel time. This
belief can be attributed to the lack of awareness and trust in ITIS.
This group of drivers therefore might make decisions according to
their experience. Third, there is a lack of information on alternative
routes en route. This lack of information creates uncertainty and
discourages drivers from changing their routes and travel times.
Fourth, drivers in the region avoid toll roads as an alternative route
because of their unwillingness to pay tolls (ranging from RM 0.50
to RM 5.00 for private vehicles, depending on entry and exit point).
As such, diversions involving toll roads are usually not chosen by
drivers in the region.
CONCLUSION
This paper investigated the level of awareness of different traffic
information dissemination tools and their use in the Klang Valley,
Malaysia, through the use of revealed preference questionnaire sur-
veys. From the analyses presented in this paper, it was found that
VMS have the highest level of awareness (58%), followed by radio
(22% pretrip, 48% en route), and Internet (12%). Radio has the
potential to emerge as the major ITIS tool because it is widely
accepted by drivers of all backgrounds. Upon receiving congestion
information from the traffic information dissemination tools, 26%
and 22% of drivers would change their departure time and routes,
respectively. It was also found that driver demographics had little
impact on the awareness and use of ITIS. It was also noted that
drivers in the Klang Valley region had limited trust in the accuracy
of ITIS. They did not perceive it to be useful to reduce travel time.
These findings warrant the development of strategies to improve
Transportation Research Record 2239
awareness and increase the credibility of ITIS. Examples could
include improving travel time reliability reported in ITIS, launching
a traffic advisory radio that could deliver real-time traffic informa-
tion to drivers, providing advice on the best departure times and
routes to use, improving features of ITIS and VMS coverage to
include traffic conditions on alternative routes, and launching pub-
licity campaigns to increase awareness of ITIS. It is anticipated that
with the implementation of appropriate strategies, ITIS will have the
potential to alleviate congestion in the Klang Valley region in the
near future.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study was funded by Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman. The
authors thank the research assistants whose diligent work has made
this study possible.
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The Transportation in the Developing Countries Committee peer-reviewed this
paper.