How to get commuters out of private cars? Exploring the role of perceived social impacts in mode choice in five European countries

Shifting away from private vehicle use in urban areas is a necessary step in the decarbonisation of mobility. A thorough understanding of the determinants of travel mode choice is paramount for developing policies that can effectively nudge people to make this shift. This paper analyses mode choice in commuting and grocery shopping journeys considering attitudes towards mobility, socio-economic factors and journey characteristics. A multinomial logistic regression is performed on survey data from 5028 household in five European countries (Hungary, Italy, Poland, Norway and Spain) to describe the choice between private vehicle, public transport and active modes. Measures for perception of negative transport externalities (that is indirect negative impacts from road transport activity) and support for sustainable mobility transition policies are considered. Results show that commuters more sensitive to negative transport externalities prefer private vehicles to public transport or active travel. This suggests a paradox may exist with respect to the perception of these externalities. Other factors such as journey characteristics, policy intervention support and family size have also a strong influence on mode choice.

Automated summary

Shifting away from private vehicle use in urban areas is necessary for decarbonisation of mobility. This paper analyzes mode choice in commuting and grocery shopping journeys, taking into account attitudes, socio-economic factors, and journey characteristics. Results show that commuters more sensitive to negative transport externalities prefer private vehicles, suggesting a paradox in the perception of these externalities.