Key factors affecting the use of emerging shared mobility services in urban areas

Abstract

Innovative shared mobility services have recently emerged as a potential solution to face some of the challenges posed by conventional urban transport. Although shared mobility is a long-standing social practice, it is also a growing trend facilitated by recent advances in information and communication technologies. These emerging services enable seamless and convenient short-term access to shared vehicles, disrupting traditional urban transport paradigms and providing new mobility opportunities for citizens. From the users' viewpoint, the scientific literature on shared mobility has mainly addressed the actual usage of more mature systems that have gained significant popularity, such as station-based bikesharing or ridehailing services. However, research on newer alternatives has primarily focused on analyzing individuals' stated preferences and adoption intentions. Thus, existing contributions have been mainly based on hypothetical situations in urban contexts where these services were not available, which is susceptible to several types of biases that arise due to discrepancies between stated intentions and actual usage behaviors. Furthermore, relatively few efforts have been devoted to exploring the influence of underlying latent constructs, such as tech-savviness or environmental consciousness, on the actual usage of emerging shared mobility services. Another notable aspect is the lack of studies employing a thorough modeling approach aimed at understanding the factors motivating individuals' choices between shared mobility and alternative competitors, including the effect of latent constructs. Considering these gaps in the literature, this thesis provides a comprehensive grasp of the explanatory factors influencing individuals' usage of recently launched shared mobility services in urban settings. Additionally, this thesis involves a cross-cutting nature, since it covers different types of emerging shared mobility services: e-scooter sharing, moped sharing, carsharing, and ridehailing. This thesis directly focuses on actual usage behaviors through specific survey campaigns developed in European cities where these systems are already in operation. The methodology is based on highly advanced econometric techniques within the framework of choice modeling, integrating the influence of latent and psychological constructs on the decision-making process when choosing these services. All the model results contribute to a deeper understanding of the actual user profile of each emerging shared mobility service. Results reveal that shared mobility users are typically young to middle-aged, better-educated, and tech-savvy individuals, residing in central urban areas, and more used to making door-to-door trips. The gender gap is also evident, with females less likely to use shared cars and e-scooters. In addition, the importance of pro-environmental behaviors is reflected in the findings of this thesis, with striking differences between each shared mobility service. Further interesting insights are presented about the factors motivating individuals' choices and preferences between shared mobility and alternative competitors in the field of hailing services (ridehailing vs. traditional taxis) and e-scooters (shared vs. private e-scooters), including the influence of latent constructs when choosing these services. Overall, the results provide important policy lessons and recommendations. In essence, the thesis offers valuable insights for shared mobility operators to sharpen and refine their system design and operation, and key transport policy implications for transport planners to lead the way in more sustainable, efficient, and equitable urban mobility, as well as achieve wider societal goals.