Functional perceptions, barriers, and demographics concerning e-cargo bike sharing in Switzerland

Abstract

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions low-carbon transportation innovations are needed. One recent innovation is e-cargo bike sharing, which links established elements: a cargo bike, an electric motor, and sharing infrastructure. Existing research on mode sharing suggests that sharing schemes face difficulties to move beyond a specific group of early adopters. To gain insights into the characteristics of and perceived barriers for those who adopt e-cargo bike sharing and those who do not, we investigated four groups: active members, inactive members, potential members, and uninterested non-members. We analyzed survey data (n = 301) from members and non-members of an e-cargo bike sharing scheme in the city of Basel, Switzerland, to explore differences in current transportation patterns and sociodemographic characteristics among the four groups. Using a mixed-methods approach, we employed a multilevel regression model to analyze quantitative data. We also applied a qualitative coding system to investigate open-ended survey questions. We found that the present scheme is more likely to attract men, cyclists, and young people; however, other groups were interested. Factors that inhibit wider adoption include safety concerns and the configuration of the sharing procedure. More effort that considers the links among infrastructure, road safety, and cycling competences is required to support the adoption of e-cargo bike sharing as a low-carbon transportation innovation.

Are Shared Vehicles Shared by All? A Review of Equity and Vehicle Sharing

“…The research we found consistently shows that bikeshare and e-scooter users are younger than the population generally, with seventeen studies providing such data for bikeshare (Soltani et al 2019; Hess and Schubert 2019; Murphy and Usher 2015; Woodcock et al 2014; Vogel et al 2014; Jahanshahi, van Wee, and Kharazmi 2019; Fishman et al 2014; Wielinski, Trépanier, and Morency 2017a; Shaheen et al 2012a; Guo et al 2017; Shaheen, Christensen, and de Lima 2015; Xin et al 2018; Hosford et al 2018; Buck et al 2013; LDA Consulting 2012; Kaviti, Venigalla, and Lucas 2019b; Gavin et al 2016) and six for e-scooters (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency 2019; Orr, MacArthur, and Dill 2019; Mobility Lab 2019; City of Santa Monica 2019; Baltimore City 2019; City of Minneapolis 2019). These patterns are consistent with age differences in bicycling generally in low-cycling countries (Pucher and Buehler 2012).…”

“…None of the research we examined was from countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark, where cycling rates among older adults are about as high as for younger adults. One exception may be a study from Basel, Switzerland, which found that the average age of users of their cargo bikeshare system was nearly forty versus forty-two for the population (Hess and Schubert 2019). Overall, however, there is no evidence that bikesharing or e-scooter systems are currently enhancing accessibility for older adults.…”

Cycle Logistics Projects in Europe: Intertwining Bike-Related Success Factors and Region-Specific Public Policies with Economic Results

“…This result is coherent and further reinforced by other studies proving analogous advantages, not only from an economic perspective but also in terms of public health, environment, quality of life, etc. [4,6,[8][9][10][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]33,40,42,76,80,[82][83][84][85]90,91,[113][114][115][116][117][118][119][120][121][122][123].…”

From cars to bikes – The effect of an intervention providing access to different bike types: A randomized controlled trial

“…Concerning cargo bikes specifically, American data has shown a decrease in car travel among cargo bike owners [22]. Also, if conditions facilitate it, American mothers accessing a cargo bike seem to consider it a realistic option for trips usually made by car [26]. Regarding bike share, representing another means to bike access, a pilot study testing a university-based e-bike share in North-America reported that new users were attracted to cycling [53].…”

“…Although men are repeatedly reported to cycle more than women [24], recent Swiss data indicates that males and females find cargo bikes equally appealing [25]. Besides, if conditions and circumstances are favorable, the cargo bike has been shown to function as a substitute for the car for American mothers with access to one [26]. Nonetheless, cargo-bikes still belong to a niche-market, and few studies on them have been conducted.…”