Park smart or face the music: Understanding users’ orderly parking behavior of dockless shared bikes from the perspective of deterrence theory

The rapid growth of dockless bike-sharing has revolutionized urban transportation. However, the disorderly parking of dockless shared bikes has emerged as a critical challenge, significantly hindering the benefits of this system by causing obstructions, safety hazards, and public nuisance. This study aims to investigate users’ orderly parking behavior of dockless shared bikes through the lens of deterrence theory. Our findings reveal that punishment severity, punishment certainty, personal norm, and descriptive norm have significant positive effects on users’ attitudes towards orderly parking, which in turn positively influences their orderly parking behavior. This study contributes to the literature by extending the application of deterrence theory to the context of dockless bike-sharing and providing empirical evidence on the role of deterrence factors in shaping users’ orderly parking behavior. Our findings offer valuable insights for bike-sharing operators and policymakers to develop effective strategies.