Assessment of travelers’ fear of crime in intercity bus terminals: the case of Karandish terminal of Shiraz

Fear of crime in intercity bus terminals is a critical transportation concern that mainly influences public transportation use, mode choices, and overall satisfaction with travel. This paper seeks to assess perceived environmental features predicting fear of crime among travelers in the case of Karandish intercity bus terminal in Shiraz, Iran. In this study, a questionnaire survey was carried out, in which travelers were asked to state their perceptions on several variables including informal social control, terminal police presence, observed incivilities, noise pollution, air pollution, littering, furniture condition, and pedestrian safety against bus traffic. Then, two ordered logit models were conducted to recognize the factors that affect travelers’ fear of crime. The results showed that perceived informal social control was strongly associated with lower levels of fear of crime among travelers. Perceptions of noise pollution and unpleasant littering in the terminal were significant environmental features as well. Also, observing more incivilities was found to make travelers feel more fearful of crime. Based on our findings, providing natural surveillance is the best solution for reducing the fear of crime in intercity bus terminals.