Built Environment Performance and User Perception of Urban Transit Interface: A Mixed-Methods Empirical Assessment of Bus Corridor in Udupi, India

Transit accessibility is a critical determinant of urban equity (SDG-11) in the Global South, a term referring to emerging economies characterised by rapid urbanisation and significant infrastructure deficits. A significant ‘compliance–resilience gap’ persists in intermediate Indian cities. This study evaluates a 10.2 km primary transit corridor in Udupi, auditing 42 transit interfaces across 21 nodes using a unified 14-parameter framework. Analytical reliability was confirmed via inter-rater reliability testing (Krippendorff’s alpha = 0.822). Using a joint display synthesis, technical compliance failures were mapped to qualitative user narratives. Results supported Hypothesis 1 (H1) via chi-square testing, revealing systemic failures (p < 0.05) in ramps (2%) and information systems (0%). Hypothesis 2 (H2) was validated through a one-sample t-test, showing that stakeholder perception (mean = 1.55) was statistically significantly lower than the neutral threshold (t(99) = −21.10, p < 0.001). These deficits triggered restrictive user adaptation strategies, including temporal displacement and forced social dependency. The study establishes a replicable ‘justice-centred’ audit framework to prioritise interventions in resource-constrained urban contexts.