Temporal patterns of user acceptance and recommendation of the automated buses

Abstract

To help automated bus services to be competitive in the market, understanding what factors influence the public’s acceptance and adoption of an automated bus service and how these factors change over time is critical. Various factors affect users’ acceptance of this new bus mode, with the quality of service standing out as a significant consideration. Based on pilot demonstrations, some prior studies have explored the factors influencing the user acceptance of new automated vehicle technology based on real-life riding experience. However, these studies are restricted to predicting the adoption of an automated bus by utilising cross-sectional data, but with no data to explore whether public attitudes and acceptance would change over time. To fill the research gap, a longitudinal survey was conducted. Using the panel data, the present study focuses on users with real-world riding experiences on automated buses operated in a mixed-traffic environment on public roads in Stockholm. Contributing to the longitudinal analysis of the public’s acceptance of automated buses, we develop a novel conceptual model integrating the service quality and the technology acceptance model (TAM). A dynamic structural equation model is employed to explore the changes in judging criteria regarding service adoption among adopters and non-adopters. The findings indicate that comfort and convenience are the most significant determinants of satisfaction and the perception of usefulness, which, in turn, positively affect people’s adoption intentions, as well as encouraging favourable word-of-mouth behaviour. It is expected that the provision of faster, safer, more comfortable and convenient riding experiences with automated buses will eventually increase the use of these buses, as well as improve word-of-mouth communication.