User Behaviour Analysis of the Public Bike System in Taipei

Abstract

Public Bike System, PBS, usually named Bike-sharing System in the west, is a category of green transport to provide a low-carbon solution of the “first/last mile” problem in a city. Indeed, there were only five bike-sharing programs in 2000. Now over 400 cities in 30 different countries have PBS programs, with more than 350,000 bikes worldwide. However, the studies for bike-sharing are still limited, and it is hard to find some related research of bike-sharing programs in the East-Asia region. The factors of a successful bike-sharing system vary between different cultures, geographic limits, and models of provision. The experience in the west is not adaptable in east. Therefore, more research is necessary for a better understanding of bike-sharing systems especially in the East-Asia region. To comprehend the elements of a successful bike-sharing system, this study examined the factors that influence the bike use intentions of bike-sharing programs, and analysed the user behaviour based on a survey of 557 respondents in Taipei, Taiwan. Results show the system cognition, environment cognition, personal perception and personal preference are four vital aspects influencing the user behaviour, and the extent is varied by different travel purposes. The location of docking stations is the most critical factor influencing user behaviour with regard to each aspect.