Parameters Affecting Professional Driver Response to VMS Messages

Professional drivers, in this case truck drivers and taxi drivers, exhibit distinct behavioural characteristics concerning route choice compared to the rest of the driving population. At the same time the number of such drivers in urban areas is considerable and their impact on traffic conditions substantial. This work attempts to identify parameters that affect professional driver response to traffic-related information transmitted via Variable Message Signs (VMS), under incident occurrence. A stated preference questionnaire survey is designed and distributed to about 100 taxi drivers and 100 truck drivers, operating in the city of Athens. Ordered probit models with random effects that highlight the contributory factors of driver response, concerning route choice, are specified and estimated. Message characteristics, in particular information on incident impact (delay) and provision of an alternative route, influence driver response, whereas incident cause does not. Specific trip and driver characteristics are also identified as contributory factors.