This study examines factors influencing modal shift toward public transport and land use behavior in Bhopal, India. A stated preference survey at key transportation hubs analyzed commuters’ propensity to use public buses. Binary logistic regression and latent class analysis estimated the likelihood of shifting from private vehicles to public transportation, considering individual profiles. Latent class analysis identified two commuter segments: (1) Cost-conscious commuters: Younger, lower-income individuals relying on cost-effective modes for shorter trips. (2) Affluent diverse travelers: Higher-income individuals with varied travel patterns, preferring private modes but open to shifting for convenience and time savings. Occupation, estimated travel time, and perceived convenience of public transport emerged as significant predictors of modal shift likelihood. The model demonstrated strong predictive ability, correctly classifying 75.6% of cases, with an area under the curve (AUC) score of 0.868, indicating excellent discriminative power. Findings suggest that enhancing public transport convenience and targeting specific occupation groups may effectively promote modal shift in Bhopal. This research contributes to sustainable urban mobility studies in developing countries and offers practical implications for policymakers. It informs targeted interventions to encourage public transport adoption and improve last-mile connectivity, addressing diverse commuter needs in rapidly urbanizing cities.