Do two-wheeler riders propel towards autonomous driving? A path-based probabilistic study in Indian context

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Regardless of the rational benefits of autonomous vehicle adoption towards mitigating mobility goals in urban and sub-urban areas of middle-income countries, adoption of such technology remains thought-provoking. Two wheeled vehicles are often utilized extensively all over the world for short distance trips in sub-urban areas. The present study investigates perceived risks of using four wheeled autonomous vehicles by captive two-wheeler riders for long and short distance trips in densely populated Indian cities. Theoretical autonomous vehicle technology acceptance models were modified considering Indian perceptions in this study. Offline stated preference responses were collected from various universities, open public spaces and governmental organizations of various cities within India. Structural equation models (SEM) and Random Forest (RF) were employed to generate meaningful insights from the surveys conducted. Random Forest (RF) analysis concluded that bicycle riders show medium to low levels of trust towards behavioural adoption intention of autonomous vehicles. According to proposed structural equation models, interest to adopt or willingness to buy autonomous vehicles for two wheeled vehicle users is mostly influenced by perceived trust and risk rather than perceived concerns/benefits for middle and old age groups in India. Perceived ease of use has the most significant marginal effects on two-wheeler riders' perceived risks towards autonomous vehicle adoption, which accounted for more than 20 % of unexplained variance. Results from this research may offer insightful diversity of attitudes towards adoption of autonomous vehicle technologies in India through the means of increased efficiency and reduced travel time and costs along with riders’ risks towards privacy and safety.