Abstract
Mobility, its current state and development perspectives in the future creates challenges with respect to sustainability, the first of which is the uncontrolled increase in greenhouse gas emissions in the last few decades, while road transport is one of the “sinners” creating long-term negative impact. The second is the dominance of car travel and car usage in the passenger transportation segment before the latest COVID-19 pandemic accelerated environmental problems. Although recent trends show new, greener patterns in consumption, there is still a relatively low share of consumers acknowledging the importance of sustainable and green preferences. This research study aims to investigate car sharing from users’ perspectives and to determine the most significant factors influencing their choice of sharing services to ensure upscaling of car sharing and, thus, contribute to urban sustainability. This research study contributes to the overall scientific discussion on car sharing and its role within urban sustainability, particularly with the following: (1) deeper investigation of car sharing and its users motivation perspectives in Latvia; (2) analyses of the most significant motivational factors for car-sharing users and aspects of sustainability; and (3) the insight into the generational differences triggering a number of car-sharing users. The existing and potential users of car sharing were surveyed in order to determine the motivational factors for its usage and attitudes towards it. Socio-demographic variables in statistical analysis were used to identify economic and environmental factors that meaningfully influence the choice of car-sharing services. The results of this study can support further development in new car-sharing business models and the value proposition for consumers in Latvia, as well as preparing policy recommendations on the promotion of sustainable transport. These findings are also useful to academics for the investigation of recent trends in car sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights
Over the years, decision makers, politicians and active representatives of society have been trying to solve several sustainability problems
Based on the literature analysis, possible to state by providing the list of relevant external that the motivational factors for car-sharing users could be divided into three groups: first, the environmental benefits, including sustainability aspects [80]; second, the economic benefits, where the issue of cost-saving plays a dominant role; and third, the utility aspect, including the individual perception of users regarding the convenience of services and the level of satisfaction of individual needs
Governments can participate in building appropriate infrastructure, improving acIf the accessibility of car, price of service, comfort and possible distance to drive are cessibility to the service, as well as providing some financial stimulus through tax incenrational reasons in a spectrum of motivational factors for users, the survey results are tives or other policy tools resulting in lower prices to end users of the service
Summary
Decision makers, politicians and active representatives of society have been trying to solve several sustainability problems. Several challenges requiring urgent solutions are related to the sustainable development of the economy, climate change and its consequences to the environmental issues and, last but not least, to the overcrowding of urban space. Back in 2017, the United Nations published the New Urban Agenda, advocating the necessity for leveraging urbanization for structural transformation, sustainable economic growth, value-added activities and resource efficiency [1]. The importance of the sustainable urban transition is addressed, with the Urban Agenda for the EU [2] defining the strategic direction for policy makers, urban development planners and other practitioners ensuring safe, clean, resilient and sustainable urban development
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