Sustainable Intercity Mobility and Passenger Characteristics of Sleeper Bus Services: Evidence from Indonesia

This study analyzes passenger characteristics of sleeper bus users on the Malang–Jakarta corridor to assess the potential for promoting low-carbon intercity mobility. Using quantitative methods with 215 respondents, we examined demographic profiles, travel patterns, and their relationships through chi-square analysis. Results indicate that young adults (21–30 years, 68.8%) with higher education levels dominate ridership, primarily traveling for recreation and family visits. The significant association between age and travel purpose suggests differentiated travel motivations across age groups, which may be relevant for understanding user segmentation in intercity public transport (χ² = 62.252, p = 0.001). The preference for quality-oriented operators such as Juragan 99 suggests that service attributes related to comfort and reliability are valued by sleeper bus users, without implying a direct causal effect on mode choice. These findings provide contextual insights that may inform discussions on the role of sleeper bus services within broader intercity transport planning, without implying direct sustainability impacts.