Bivariate Analysis of the Influencing Factors of the Upcoming Personal Mobility Vehicles (PMVs) in Palermo

Abstract

The micro-mobility sector is spreading in the Italian and European urban context. The use of micro-mobility vehicles is often adopted to reach areas with particular transit restrictions or to avoid the problem of parking and congestion on the roads. Although personal mobility vehicles (PMV) are characterized by a growing technology, they still have problems related to driving safety in shared road spaces, not only for the inadequacy of infrastructure but also for some regulatory deficiencies and user behaviour. The Italian legislation is very recent and regulates the operational characteristics of the various vehicles and limits their use to certain age groups and in some areas of the cities. The present work focuses on the analysis of the attitudes and perceptions of a sample of users using micro-mobility in the centre of Palermo, one of the metropolises of Southern Italy. The results were obtained by administering questionnaires to a sample of specific users and the data were studied through a bivariate statistical analysis that highlights the significance of the comparison between two variables. The sample was chosen in collaboration with an association of citizens that promotes group activities by moving with means of micro-mobility in Palermo. Several correlations between the variables were addressed and among these some socio-economic ones were related to the propensity to rent and the perception of safety during the use of PMVs in Palermo. From this comparison, conclusions and notes useful for further research steps emerge.