Monthly Public Transport Patronage in Victoria by Day Type and Mode

Monthly average daily patronage data for metropolitan and regional train, bus, and tram services in Victoria. The dataset categorizes ridership by day types (normal weekday, school holiday weekday, weekend) and individual days of the week. It is produced by the Department of Transport and Planning, updated monthly with a two-month lag.

Use Cases

• Compare patronage between day types (normal weekday, school holiday weekday, weekend) for metropolitan train services to assess seasonal demand.
• Analyze ridership trends by day of the week (Monday through Sunday) for regional bus services to optimize scheduling.
• Model the impact of transaction rate adjustments on patronage estimates for different transport modes (train, bus, tram).
• Track monthly patronage changes for metropolitan tram services, excluding public holidays, to evaluate service performance.

Strengths

• Data is updated monthly, providing regular insights into public transport usage.
• Patronage estimates are derived from myki ticketing data supplemented by a patronage survey to calculate a transaction rate.
• The methodology includes specific adjustments, such as using barrier count data for metropolitan trains from January 2021.

Limitations

• Patronage estimates are rounded to the nearest 50, which may obscure granular trends for low-volume services.
• Regional bus patronage excludes services not enabled for myki ticketing, providing an incomplete picture of total ridership.
• Data has a two-month publication lag, limiting real-time analysis.

Provenance

Source

Department of Transport and Planning, Victoria, Australia.

Collection Method

Derived from myki ticketing data, supplemented by patronage surveys to determine transaction rates. Metropolitan train data uses barrier counts where available.

Freshness

Updated monthly with a two-month lag.

Geography

Victoria, Australia, covering metropolitan and regional areas.