Using a GPS active logger to implement travel behaviour change programs

Implementing behavioural strategies aimed at reducing car use represents one of the most topical challenges for current transport research. Most of the current Voluntary Travel Behaviour Change (VTBC) programs are moving towards ICT devices for data collection. The advantages of using ICT have been recognized for implementing behavioural strategies and VTBC in order to improve observation of preand post-implementation behaviour. This chapter describes the implications of a personal Active Logger (AL) implemented by CRiMM (University of Cagliari, Italy) for the collection of individual activity-travel patterns before and after a VTBC implementation. In particular, VTBC data collected through an active tracking system (GPS tracking + real time activity diary completion) are compared with data collected using a hybrid tracking system (GPS-only system + deferred activity-travel patterns). The results show that, despite the greater effort involved in real time compilation, the information collected by the active logger is more in line with VTBC requirements and expectations.