Carpooling in Switzerland: Public Attitudes and Growth Strategies

A recent study estimated the potential of carpooling in Switzerland. Part of this study was a survey in which the attitudes of the public towards this mode were investigated using both multi-response questions and a stated preference (SP) experiment. This paper reports on the results of the questionnaire. The first contribution of this paper is to give an insight on the reasons that motivate travellers to consider car-pooling as a possible alternative to driving alone with their own private car. Additionally, the questionnaire was the basis for factor and cluster analyses. Four different clusters of attitudes towards car pooling were identified among the population. This analysis is valuable to identify possible strategies to introduce carpooling at a larger scale in Switzerland. The results show that some parts of the population would be ready to embrace this mode of transport, in some cases even enthusiastically. This is true in particular for well educated, relatively affluent people. However, the responses suggest also that in order to exploit this potential, a system is necessary to address some of the typical issues related to carpooling. Safety is important but not the most important issue for potential participants. Practical aspects, like the guarantee of being able to go back home as a passenger if pools are arranged on a one-way basis, are those which worry respondents the most and, therefore, the most critical for carpooling success.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ABE50 Transportation Demand Management.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Ciari, Francesco
  • Axhausen, Kay W
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 92nd Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2013-1-13 to 2013-1-17
• Date: 2013

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 24p
• Monograph Title: TRB 92nd Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Casual carpooling; Cluster analysis; Factor analysis; Questionnaires; Stated preferences; Strategic planning
• Geographic Terms: Switzerland
• Subject Areas: Highways; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01475747
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 13-2780
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 15 2013 9:48AM