Abstract

Public transport systems are governed by policies that are made both for and by the cultural context of the populations and cities they serve. This chapter aims to demonstrate the way public transport policy is linked to aspects of national culture. Using the public transport policies regulating the carriage of dogs on public transport as a case study, the chapter applies a commonly accepted framework of national cultural dimensions to reveal associations between public transport policy and culture. It reveals that allowing dogs on public transport is related to national cultures that are more conservative, with a long-term orientation and an acceptance of hierarchies. The chapter shows that context is a variable worthy of consideration in the development of public transport policy and practice, particularly as it fights to compete with the comfort and convenience so often afforded by the private car. The chapter concludes with a discussion of future research requirements in this space, calling for transport research to place more emphasis on unusual, “messy” trips, as well as on cultural attributes.