The social perspective on policy towards local shared autonomous vehicle services (LSAVS)

The transport policy discourse posits Shared Autonomous Vehicles (SAVs) as a more sustainable solution for the implementation of road automation technology. A successful implementation of SAV services strongly depends on being able to meet user's needs, as well as responding to their expectations. For this reason, the public has a central role in the definition of appropriate and realistic policies for the design, regulation and adoption of new automated mobility services. However, whilst there has been considerable attention to individuals' attitudes towards road transport automation, few have applied participatory or co-design methods to help define new SAV services. Moreover, most of the existing studies have also been hypothetical rather than examining vehicles in real service settings. This paper addresses these imbalances through reporting a two-stage research initiative. Initially a local shared automated vehicle service (LSAVS) concept was examined in a co-design workshop (Stage 1), leading to the development of a conceptual framework for social acceptance. This was then applied (Stage 2) in qualitative empirical research into the experiences of participants who rode in two different live prototype LSAVS. It was found that social considerations such as equity in access to mobility services, social inclusion, environmental protection, and concerns about control over interpersonal interactions emerged as strong acceptance factors within participants' construction of the conceptual services and responses to exposure to actual services. However, broad socio-political aspirations beyond transport policy were also important. It is concluded that achieving high levels of social acceptance where these utopian expectations meet commercial realities and public-sector constraints will be a major policy challenge facing any attempt to introduce an LSAVS with strong sustainable mobility credentials.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.05.013
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X20303607
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/29485010
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Paddeu, Daniela
  • Shergold, Ian
  • Parkhurst, Graham
• Publication Date: 2020-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 116-126
• Serial:
  • Transport Policy
  • Volume: 98
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0967-070X
  • Serial URL: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/issn/096707X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Autonomous vehicles; Public opinion; Shared mobility; Social factors; Transportation policy; Vehicle sharing
• Subject Areas: Highways; Policy; Society; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01744364
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 29 2020 11:21AM