Assessment of factors affecting use of public bicycle sharing system in Indian cities.

Abstract

Increasing population and technology upliftment around world is resulting into many problems like lack of infrastructure, healthcare, resource depletion, climate change etc. Continuous efforts has been taken to reduce the source of problem and consequences. Many efforts are taken to reduce impact of climate change banked on multiple strategies like afforestation, low carbon technologies and low carbon mobility, etc. Electric vehicle, bicycle sharing are popular low carbon alternatives for mobility. Bicycle sharing is an active non-motorised transport option for short trips. Bicycle sharing programs are getting popular around world cities as a strategies for climate resilient sustainable urban development. Bicycle sharing had started in late 1960’s and became the indivisible part of transport infrastructure in western countries, while in Asian cities, except china, its implementation is in budding and lethargic state. India recently started public bicycle sharing under smart city mission in more than 23 cities. Effectiveness and ridership experience of bicycle sharing is differed worldwide. This raises the question what influences ridership and effectiveness of bicycle sharing. So thesis attempt to understand PBS system in India and analyse what different factors affects ridership of PBS in two Indian cities Pune and Bhopal. The primary survey has been done to comprehend PBS user characteristics, trip characteristics and perception of users. Considering user perception, the extent to which socio economic individual-level characteristics, Built environment, Landuse, environment factors, infrastructure and system characteristics affects ridership of bicycle sharing is analysed using regression and factor analysis method. Results shows that number of rides and turnover rate is tend to increase with density of docking station, population density, cycling infrastructure, transport connectivity and system competence while it is weakly affected by topographic features and climate of area. Considering most influencing factor strategies has been provided to improve ridership and effectiveness of low performing PBS station in both cities.