Log in

What do non-users think about adopting public bicycle sharing systems? Evidence from India

  • Technical Paper
  • Published:
Innovative Infrastructure Solutions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Limited research exists on the factors influencing the adoption of public bicycle-sharing systems (PBSS) in develo** countries like India. This study addresses this gap by examining the determinants of PBSS adoption intention among non-users in India. Through a web-based survey of 403 respondents, empirical data was collected and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings reveal that individuals’ attitudes and perceived convenience significantly impact their desire to accept bicycle-sharing. Moreover, environmental concern indirectly influences PBSS adoption intention more than direct influence. Therefore, the findings emphasize the need for policies focusing on improving docking station networks, changing bicycle perception through targeted advertisements, and educating individuals about the benefits of bicycling. These measures aim to establish PBSS as a viable alternative mode of commute in India.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Germany)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The data used in this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

References

  1. Woodcock J, Edwards P, Tonne C, Armstrong BG, Ashiru O, Banister D, Beevers S, Chalabi Z, Chowdhury Z, Cohen A, Franco OH, Haines A, Hickman R, Lindsay G, Mittal I, Mohan D, Tiwari G, Woodward A and I. Roberts. Series Health and Climate Change 2 Public Health Benefi Ts of Strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: Urban Land Transport. Lancet, 374, pp. 1930–1943. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140

  2. Picon A, (2015). Smart cities: a spatialised intelligence.

  3. Shaheen S, Guzman S, Zhang H (2012) Bikesharing across the Globe

  4. Parkes SD, Marsden G, Shaheen SA, Cohen AP (2013) Understanding the Diffusion of Public Bikesharing systems: evidence from Europe and North America. J Transp Geogr 31:94–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2013.06.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Jennings G (2015) Finding our balance: considering the opportunities for Public Bicycle systems in Cape Town, South Africa. Res Transp Bus Manage 15:6–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2014.09.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Castillo-Manzano JI, López-Valpuesta L (2016) Sánchez-Braza. Going a long way? On your Bike! Comparing the distances for which public bicycle sharing system and private bicycles are used. Appl Geogr 71:95–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2016.04.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Adnan M, Altaf S, Bellemans T, ul A, Yasar H (2019) Shakshuki. Last-Mile travel and bicycle sharing system in Small/Medium sized cities: user’s preferences Investigation using hybrid choice model. J Ambient Intell Humaniz Comput 10(12):4721–4731. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12652-018-0849-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Sun Y, Mobasheri A, Hu X, Wang W (2017) Investigating impacts of environmental factors on the Cycling behavior of bicycle-sharing users. Sustain (Switzerland) 9(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/su9061060

  9. Zhu M, Hu X, Lin Z, Li J, Wang S, Wang C Intention to Adopt Bicycle-Sharing in China: Introducing Environmental Concern into the Theory of Planned Behavior Model. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10135-1/Published

  10. Heinen E, Handy S (2012) Similarities in attitudes and norms and the Effect on Bicycle commuting: evidence from the Bicycle cities Davis and Delft. Int J Sustainable Transp 6(5):257–281. https://doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2011.593695

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hosford K, Lear SA, Fuller D, Teschke K, Therrien S, Winters M (2018) Who is in the near market for bicycle sharing? Identifying current, potential, and unlikely users of a Public Bicycle Share Program in Vancouver, Canada. BMC Public Health 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6246-3

  12. McKenzie G (2018) Docked vs. Dockless Bike-Sharing: contrasting spatiotemporal patterns. No. 114

  13. Lazarus J, Pourquier JC, Feng F, Hammel H, Shaheen S (2020) Micromobility Evolution and Expansion: understanding how docked and Dockless Bikesharing models complement and compete – a case study of San Francisco. J Transp Geogr 84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2019.102620

  14. de Médard C, Caruso G, Thomas I (2017) Bicycle sharing System ‘Success’ determinants. Transp Res Part A: Policy Pract 100:202–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2017.04.020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Bordagaray M, Ibeas A, dell’Olio L (2012) Modeling User Perception of Public Bicycle Services. Procedia - Social Behav Sci 54:1308–1316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.09.845

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Curto A, De Nazelle A, Donaire-Gonzalez D, Cole-Hunter T, Garcia-Aymerich J, Martínez D, Anaya E, Rodríguez D, Jerrett M (2016) Nieuwenhuijsen. Private and public modes of bicycle commuting: a perspective on attitude and perception. Eur J Pub Health 26(4):717–723. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckv235

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Manca F, Sivakumar A, Polak JW (2019) The Effect of Social Influence and Social Interactions on the adoption of a New Technology: the Use of Bike sharing in a Student Population. Transp Res Part C: Emerg Technol 105:611–625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2019.02.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Maas S, Attard M (2020) Attitudes and perceptions towards Shared mobility services: repeated cross-sectional results from a survey among the Maltese Population. No 45:955–962

    Google Scholar 

  19. Fishman E, Washington S, Haworth N (2012) Barriers and facilitators to Public Bicycle Scheme Use: a qualitative Approach. Transp Res Part F: Traffic Psychol Behav 15(6):686–698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2012.08.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Shaheen S, Zhang H, Martin E (2011) Guzman. China’s Hangzhou Public Bicycle: understanding early adoption and behavioral response to Bikesharing. Transp Res Rec No. 2247:33–41. https://doi.org/10.3141/2247-05

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Jia Y, Ding D, Gebel K, Chen L, Zhang S, Ma Z, Fu H (2019) Effects of New Dock-less bicycle-sharing programs on Cycling: a retrospective study in Shanghai. BMJ Open 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024280

  22. Zhou B, Liu T, Ryan C, Wang L, Zhang D (2020) The satisfaction of tourists using bicycle sharing: a structural equation model - the case of Hangzhou, China. J Sustainable Tourism 28(7):1063–1082. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1720697

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Ding X, Long X, Li L, Liang H, Wang Q, Cai S (2019) Antecedents of satisfaction and Engagement of Low-Carbon bicycle-sharing using in China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26(9):8533–8542. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04231-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Zhao P, Li S (2017) Bicycle-Metro Integration in a growing City: the determinants of Cycling as a transfer Mode in Metro Station Areas in Bei**g. Transp Res Part A: Policy Pract 99:46–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2017.03.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Patel SJ, Patel CR and G. J. Joshi. Planning of Public Bicycle (Bike) Sharing System (PBSS): A Case Study of Surat City. No. 48, 2020, pp. 2251–2261

  26. Ganesh Vadivelu N, Vishnuvardhan K, Fartheen Khan M, Ganesh VN, Rajkumar R User Perception Assessment in Erode City towards the implementation of Public Bicycle sharing as a sustainable transportation System JOURNAL OF CRITICAL REVIEWS user Perception Assessment in Erode City towards the implementation of Public Bicycle sharing as a sustainable transportation system

  27. Patel SJ and C. R. Patel. An Infrastructure Review of Public Bicycle Sharing System (PBSS): global and Indian scenario. In Lecture notes in Intelligent Transportation and infrastructure, Springer Nature, pp. 111–120

  28. Patel SJ, Patel CR (2020) A stakeholders Perspective on improving barriers in implementation of public bicycle sharing system (PBSS). Transp Res Part A: Policy Pract 138:353–366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2020.06.007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Ajzen I The Theory of Planned Behavior

  30. Kaplan S, Manca F, Nielsen TAS (2015) Prato. Intentions to Use Bike-sharing for Holiday Cycling: an application of the theory of Planned Behavior. Tour Manag 47:34–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2014.08.017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Wang S, Fan J, Zhao D, Yang S, Fu Y (2016) Predicting Consumers’ Intention to Adopt Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Using an Extended Version of the Theory of Planned Behavior Model. Transportation, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 123–143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-014-9567-9

  32. Han H, Meng B, Kim W (2017) Emerging bicycle tourism and the theory of Planned Behavior. J Sustainable Tourism 25(2):292–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2016.1202955

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Cai S, Long X, Li L, Liang H, Wang Q, Ding X (2019) Determinants of Intention and Behavior of Low Carbon commuting through bicycle-sharing in China. J Clean Prod 212:602–609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.12.072

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Si H, gang Shi J, Tang D, Wu G, Lan J (2020) Understanding intention and behavior toward sustainable usage of Bike sharing by extending the theory of Planned Behavior. Resour Conserv Recycl 152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104513

  35. Bamberg S (2003) How Does Environmental Concern Influence Specific Environmentally Related Behaviors? A New Answer to an Old Question

  36. Sang YN (2015) Bekhet. Modelling Electric vehicle usage intentions: an empirical study in Malaysia. J Clean Prod 92:75–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.12.045

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Singh MP, Chakraborty A (2018) Roy. Develo** an extended theory of Planned Behavior Model to explore Circular Economy Readiness in Manufacturing MSMEs, India. Resour Conserv Recycl 135:313–322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.07.015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Kim Y, Han H (2010) Intention to pay conventional-hotel prices at a Green Hotel - a modification of the theory of Planned Behavior. J Sustainable Tourism 18(8):997–1014. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2010.490300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Ramayah T, Lee JWC, Lim S (2012) Sustaining the Environment through Recycling: an empirical study. J Environ Manage 102:141–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.02.025

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Schepers J, Wetzels M (2007) A Meta-analysis of the Technology Acceptance Model: investigating subjective norm and Moderation effects. Inform Manage 44(1):90–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2006.10.007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Hazen BT, Overstreet RE, Wang Y (2015) Predicting Public Bicycle Adoption using the Technology Acceptance Model. Sustain (Switzerland) 7(11):14558–14573. https://doi.org/10.3390/su71114558

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Chen SY, Lu CC (2016) A model of Green Acceptance and intentions to Use Bike-Sharing: YouBike users in Taiwan. Networks Spat Econ 16(4):1103–1124. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11067-015-9312-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Fishman E, Washington S, Haworth N, Watson A (2015) Factors influencing Bike Share Membership: an analysis of Melbourne and Brisbane. Transp Res Part A: Policy Pract 71:17–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2014.10.021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Golob TF Structural Equation Modeling for Travel Behavior Research

  45. Markus KA (2012) Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling by Rex B. Kline. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 509–512. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2012.687667

  46. Gefen D, Straub DW, Boudreau M-C, Gefen D, Straub DW, Boudreau M (2000) STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING AND REGRESSION: GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH PRACTICE Structural Equation Modeling Techniques and Regression: Guidelines For Research Practice By

  47. Kang H, Hahn M, Fortin DR, Hyun YJ, Eom Y (2006) Effects of perceived behavioral control on the consumer usage intention of E-Coupons. Psychol Mark 23(10):841–864. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Zhao X, Lynch JG, Chen Q (2010) Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: myths and truths about Mediation Analysis. J Consum Res 37(2):197–206. https://doi.org/10.1086/651257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Biassoni F, Lo Carmine C, Perego P, Gnerre M (2023) Choosing the bicycle as a Mode of Transportation, the influence of infrastructure perception, travel satisfaction and pro-environmental attitude, the case of Milan. Sustain (Switzerland) 15(16). https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612117

  50. Kim J, Choi K, Kim S (2017) Fujii. How to promote sustainable public Bike System from a psychological perspective? Int J Sustainable Transp 11(4):272–281. https://doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2016.1252450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Verma M, Rahul TM, Reddy PV, Verma A (2016) The factors influencing Bicycling in the Bangalore City. Transp Res Part A: Policy Pract 89:29–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2016.04.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Verma M, Verma A, Khan M (2020) Factors Influencing the Adoption of Electric Vehicles in Bengaluru. Transportation in Develo** Economies, Vol. 6, No. 2, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40890-020-0100-x

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors’ wish to extend their sincere thanks to the survey respondents who provided highly valuable information for this study. A major contribution was also made by Chartered Bike, who distributed the questionnaire among their valued customers, resulting in a large number of responses to the survey. Also, the authors’ would like to thank Dr. Raktim Mitra for his valuable inputs, which helped improve the article.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

The research study was jointly designed and executed by Aurojeet Jena and B. Raghuram Kadali. Aurojeet Jena was responsible for data collection, review of existing literature, methodology development, statistical analysis and in the composition of the draft of the manuscript. B. Raghuram Kadali was responsible for formulation of the study, review of the articles, methodology, analysis and finalizing the draft of the paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to B. Raghuram Kadali.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The paper is neither published nor under review elsewhere. There are no human or animal participants involved in this study.

Informed consent

All authors are aware of the paper.

Competing Interests

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary Material 1

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jena, A., Kadali, B.R. What do non-users think about adopting public bicycle sharing systems? Evidence from India. Innov. Infrastruct. Solut. 9, 250 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-024-01577-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-024-01577-4

Keywords

Navigation