TY - JOUR
T1 - Monitoring the first dockless bike sharing system in Greece
T2 - Understanding user perceptions, usage patterns and adoption barriers
AU - Bakogiannis, Efthimios
AU - Siti, Maria
AU - Tsigdinos, Stefanos
AU - Vassi, Avgi
AU - Nikitas, Alexandros
PY - 2020/1/31
Y1 - 2020/1/31
N2 - The city of Rethymno in Crete is the first Greek city to host a Dockless Bike Sharing System (DBSS). This is a scheme that means to promote sustainable mobility and help mitigating high levels of car traffic induced particularly during summer by a consistently increasing number of tourists. The present paper examines the efficiency of this DBSS aiming at: a) analysing the current usage patterns, b) identifying and discussing the various reasons that encourage or deter its use and c) capturing a few key user perceptions reflecting and affecting scheme acceptance and usage. The study adopts a mix-method approach consisting of secondary data analysis, field observations and a quantitative survey, completed by 534 DBSS users. The findings illustrate that DBSS is used primarily for short-distance trips (up to 1,5 km) and very short rentals (up to 15 min). Traffic safety concerns and limitations in the existing cycling infrastructure are two of the factors adversely affecting the scheme's usage, since many questioned whether the scheme was an effective investment under the present situation with the given constrains of Rethymno's transport system. The majority of both frequent and occasional users thought that the scheme is affordable, easy to use and suitable for both tourist and local populations. These findings constitute the first ever footprint of DBSS usage in Greece and can be used as an input for delivering appropriate policy interventions in future urban transportation strategies looking to promote and reinforce bike sharing usage and increase cycling uptake. The paper also offers valuable guidance to mobility providers about how bike sharing businesses can prosper long-term in an environment where shared mobility schemes constitute novel socio-technical interventions.
AB - The city of Rethymno in Crete is the first Greek city to host a Dockless Bike Sharing System (DBSS). This is a scheme that means to promote sustainable mobility and help mitigating high levels of car traffic induced particularly during summer by a consistently increasing number of tourists. The present paper examines the efficiency of this DBSS aiming at: a) analysing the current usage patterns, b) identifying and discussing the various reasons that encourage or deter its use and c) capturing a few key user perceptions reflecting and affecting scheme acceptance and usage. The study adopts a mix-method approach consisting of secondary data analysis, field observations and a quantitative survey, completed by 534 DBSS users. The findings illustrate that DBSS is used primarily for short-distance trips (up to 1,5 km) and very short rentals (up to 15 min). Traffic safety concerns and limitations in the existing cycling infrastructure are two of the factors adversely affecting the scheme's usage, since many questioned whether the scheme was an effective investment under the present situation with the given constrains of Rethymno's transport system. The majority of both frequent and occasional users thought that the scheme is affordable, easy to use and suitable for both tourist and local populations. These findings constitute the first ever footprint of DBSS usage in Greece and can be used as an input for delivering appropriate policy interventions in future urban transportation strategies looking to promote and reinforce bike sharing usage and increase cycling uptake. The paper also offers valuable guidance to mobility providers about how bike sharing businesses can prosper long-term in an environment where shared mobility schemes constitute novel socio-technical interventions.
KW - Bike sharing
KW - Dockless bike sharing
KW - Public bicycles
KW - Shared mobility
KW - Sustainable transport
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85078782075&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.rtbm.2020.100432
DO - 10.1016/j.rtbm.2020.100432
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85078782075
VL - 33
JO - Research in Transportation Business and Management
JF - Research in Transportation Business and Management
SN - 2210-5395
M1 - 100432
ER -