Digitalization of Urban Transport Modelling Commuter Acceptance and the Adoption of the Chennai One App

Abstract

Rapid advancement in the digital adoption of transport systems in cities calls for more study on what will keep users continuing to use the mobile transit app in the long run. This paper studies the commuter acceptance and the post-adoption behavior towards Chennai One App, a multimodal application developed for Chennai city in India, based on the ECM and TAM using a proposed enhanced model for assessing the Continuance Intention (CI). App Quality is modeled as a second-order construct comprising Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Usefulness, and System Quality alongside Trust as primary antecedents. A quantitative method collected data from 384 Chennai commuters, analyzed via Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results indicate that App Quality significantly influences Confirmation (β = 0.887, p <0.001), while Trust has a positive effect on User Satisfaction (β=0.461, p<0.001). Further, Confirmation (β=0.453, p <0.001), (β=0.354, p<0.001) has a positive effect on user satisfaction and Continuance intention. User Satisfaction (β =0.557, p <0.001) significantly predicts continuance intention. These findings highlight that while technical performance forms the foundation of user experience, satisfaction and trust play a decisive role in sustaining long-term usage. Findings demonstrate that while technical performance provides the foundation for user experience, satisfaction and trust play decisive roles in sustaining long-term usage. Trust serves as a major factor in high-risk digital environments, with confirmation of expectations and post-adoption satisfaction acting as critical drivers of continuance intention. To maximize digital service delivery and promote user loyalty, this study offers evidence-based insights to urban transport authorities and app developers, facilitating the shift toward a digitally integrated urban transport ecosystem.