IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/transa/v78y2015icp113-123.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Of “white crows” and “cash savers:” A qualitative study of travel behavior and perceptions of ridesharing in Denmark

Author

Listed:
  • Nielsen, Jesper Riber
  • Hovmøller, Harald
  • Blyth, Pascale-L.
  • Sovacool, Benjamin K.

Abstract

Based on original research collected through semi-structured research interviews and five focus groups throughout Denmark, this study explores Danish perceptions about ad hoc, acquaintance-based, and organization-based ridesharing (“carpooling”). Using a grounded, qualitative factor analysis approach, it investigates the elements that influence the adoption (and non-adoption) of ridesharing and identifies market segments and business models that may enable planners to overcome existing barriers. The article finds that Danish drivers and commuters appear to be split on the topic. Negative perceptions reported by respondents include lack of availability and difficulty finding rides, viewing ridesharing as unsafe or unsecure, and expectations of social awkwardness, among others. Positive perceptions reported include cost savings compared to public and private transport, greater flexibility of travel times, and the ability to socialize with vehicle occupants. These contrasting views lead us to conclude that existing theories and models of ridesharing behavior may need to be fundamentally rethought, both in Denmark and possibly elsewhere. Our results also suggest that ridesharing efforts framed around climate change or environmental sustainability will not likely be successful in Denmark.

Suggested Citation

  • Nielsen, Jesper Riber & Hovmøller, Harald & Blyth, Pascale-L. & Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2015. "Of “white crows” and “cash savers:” A qualitative study of travel behavior and perceptions of ridesharing in Denmark," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 113-123.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:78:y:2015:i:c:p:113-123
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2015.04.033
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856415001196
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tra.2015.04.033?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vanoutrive, Thomas & Van De Vijver, Elien & Van Malderen, Laurent & Jourquin, Bart & Thomas, Isabelle & Verhetsel, Ann & Witlox, Frank, 2012. "What determines carpooling to workplaces in Belgium: location, organisation, or promotion?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 77-86.
    2. Gonçalo Correia & José Manuel Viegas, 2010. "Applying a structured simulation-based methodology to assess carpooling time--space potential," Transportation Planning and Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(6), pages 515-540, June.
    3. Catherine Morency, 2007. "The ambivalence of ridesharing," Transportation, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 239-253, March.
    4. Piet Rietveld, 2001. "Biking and Walking: The Position of Non-Motorised Transport Modes in Transport Systems," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 01-111/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    5. Beirão, Gabriela & Sarsfield Cabral, J.A., 2007. "Understanding attitudes towards public transport and private car: A qualitative study," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 14(6), pages 478-489, November.
    6. Jensen, Mette, 1999. "Passion and heart in transport -- a sociological analysis on transport behaviour," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 19-33, January.
    7. Evelyn Blumenberg & Michael Smart, 2010. "Getting by with a little help from my friends…and family: immigrants and carpooling," Transportation, Springer, vol. 37(3), pages 429-446, May.
    8. Wang, Tingting & Chen, Cynthia, 2012. "Attitudes, mode switching behavior, and the built environment: A longitudinal study in the Puget Sound Region," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(10), pages 1594-1607.
    9. Correia, Gonçalo & Viegas, José Manuel, 2011. "Carpooling and carpool clubs: Clarifying concepts and assessing value enhancement possibilities through a Stated Preference web survey in Lisbon, Portugal," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 81-90, February.
    10. Robert Biswas-Diener & Joar Vittersø & Ed Diener, 2010. "The Danish Effect: Beginning to Explain High Well-Being in Denmark," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 97(2), pages 229-246, June.
    11. Steg, Linda, 2005. "Car use: lust and must. Instrumental, symbolic and affective motives for car use," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 39(2-3), pages 147-162.
    12. Anable, Jillian, 2005. "'Complacent Car Addicts' or 'Aspiring Environmentalists'? Identifying travel behaviour segments using attitude theory," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 65-78, January.
    13. Mote, Jonathon E. & Whitestone, Yuko, 2011. "The social context of informal commuting: Slugs, strangers and structuration," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 45(4), pages 258-268, May.
    14. Griffin, Mitch & Babin, Barry J. & Christensen, Finn, 2004. "A cross-cultural investigation of the materialism construct: Assessing the Richins and Dawson's materialism scale in Denmark, France and Russia," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 57(8), pages 893-900, August.
    15. Gonçalo Homem de Almeida Correia & João de Abreu e Silva & José Manuel Viegas, 2013. "Using latent attitudinal variables estimated through a structural equations model for understanding carpooling propensity," Transportation Planning and Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(6), pages 499-519, August.
    16. Shaheen, Susan A & Lipman, Timothy E, 2007. "Reducing Greenhouse Emissions and Fuel Consumption: Sustainable Approaches for Surface Transportation," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt5c66j062, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    17. Shaheen, Susan & Lipman, Timothy, 2007. "Reducing Greenhouse Emissions and Fuel Consumption," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt69c427zk, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Casprini, Elena & Di Minin, Alberto & Paraboschi, Andrea, 2019. "How do companies organize nascent markets? The BlaBlaCar case in the inter-city shared mobility market," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 270-281.
    2. Zhang, Xin & Zhong, Shiquan & Ling, Shuai & Jia, Ning & Qi, Hang & He, Zhengbing, 2022. "How to promote the transition from solo driving to mobility services delivery? An empirical study focusing on ridesharing," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 176-187.
    3. Naweed, Anjum & Chapman, Janine & Trigg, Joshua, 2018. "“Tell them what they want to hear and get back to work”: Insights into the utility of current occupational health assessments from the perspectives of train drivers," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 234-244.
    4. Liang, Jyun-Kai & Eccarius, Timo & Lu, Chung-Cheng, 2019. "Investigating factors that affect the intention to use shared parking: A case study of Taipei City," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 799-812.
    5. Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Axsen, Jonn, 2018. "Functional, symbolic and societal frames for automobility: Implications for sustainability transitions," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 730-746.
    6. Yuanyuan Zhang & Yuming Zhang, 2018. "Examining the Relationship between Household Vehicle Ownership and Ridesharing Behaviors in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-24, August.
    7. Benjamin K. Sovacool, 2016. "The history and politics of energy transitions: Comparing contested views and finding common ground," WIDER Working Paper Series 081, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    8. Batinge, Benjamin & Musango, Josephine Kaviti & Brent, Alan C., 2019. "Sustainable energy transition framework for unmet electricity markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 1090-1099.
    9. Neoh, Jun Guan & Chipulu, Maxwell & Marshall, Alasdair & Tewkesbury, Adam, 2018. "How commuters’ motivations to drive relate to propensity to carpool: Evidence from the United Kingdom and the United States," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 128-148.
    10. Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2017. "Contestation, contingency, and justice in the Nordic low-carbon energy transition," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 569-582.
    11. Mingyang Du & Lin Cheng & Xuefeng Li & Jingzong Yang, 2019. "Investigating the Influential Factors of Shared Travel Behavior: Comparison between App-Based Third Taxi Service and Free-Floating Bike Sharing in Nanjing, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-18, August.
    12. Ye Ma & Biying Yu & Meimei Xue, 2018. "Spatial Heterogeneous Characteristics of Ridesharing in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region of China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-21, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Neoh, Jun Guan & Chipulu, Maxwell & Marshall, Alasdair & Tewkesbury, Adam, 2018. "How commuters’ motivations to drive relate to propensity to carpool: Evidence from the United Kingdom and the United States," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 128-148.
    2. Julie Bulteau & Thierry Feuillet & Sophie Dantan & Souhir Abbes, 2023. "Encouraging carpooling for commuting in the Paris area (France): which incentives and for whom?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 43-62, February.
    3. Jun Guan Neoh & Maxwell Chipulu & Alasdair Marshall, 2017. "What encourages people to carpool? An evaluation of factors with meta-analysis," Transportation, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 423-447, March.
    4. Gheorghiu, Alexandra & Delhomme, Patricia, 2018. "For which types of trips do French drivers carpool? Motivations underlying carpooling for different types of trips," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 460-475.
    5. Santoso, Djoen San & Yajima, Masaru & Sakamoto, Kunihiro & Kubota, Hisashi, 2012. "Opportunities and strategies for increasing bus ridership in rural Japan: A case study of Hidaka City," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 320-329.
    6. Bouscasse, H. & Bonnel, P., 2016. "Socio-psychological determinants of mode choice habits," Working Papers 2016-05, Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL).
    7. Saad AlQuhtani, 2022. "Ridesharing as a Potential Sustainable Transportation Alternative in Suburban Universities: The Case of Najran University, Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-18, April.
    8. Gustav Bösehans & Ian Walker, 2020. "Do supra-modal traveller types exist? A travel behaviour market segmentation using Goal framing theory," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 243-273, February.
    9. Kurniawan, Jude Herijadi & Ong, Corinne & Cheah, Lynette, 2018. "Examining values and influences affecting public expectations of future urban mobility: A Singapore case study," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 66-75.
    10. Rezwana Rafiq & Suman Kumar Mitra, 2020. "Shared school transportation: determinants of carpooling as children’s school travel mode in California," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 1339-1357, June.
    11. Dacko, Scott G. & Spalteholz, Carolin, 2014. "Upgrading the city: Enabling intermodal travel behaviour," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 222-235.
    12. Davies, Nick, 2012. "What are the ingredients of successful travel behavioural change campaigns?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 19-29.
    13. repec:hal:wpaper:hal-00827972 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Romero, Fernando & Gomez, Juan & Paez, Antonio & Vassallo, José Manuel, 2020. "Toll roads vs. Public transportation: A study on the acceptance of congestion-calming measures in Madrid," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 319-342.
    15. Yoon-Young Chun & Mitsutaka Matsumoto & Kiyotaka Tahara & Kenichiro Chinen & Hideki Endo, 2019. "Exploring Factors Affecting Car Sharing Use Intention in the Southeast-Asia Region: A Case Study in Java, Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-26, September.
    16. Monchambert, Guillaume & de Palma, André, 2014. "Public transport reliability and commuter strategy," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 14-29.
    17. Cristina Pronello & Jean-Baptiste Gaborieau, 2018. "Engaging in Pro-Environment Travel Behaviour Research from a Psycho-Social Perspective: A Review of Behavioural Variables and Theories," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-22, July.
    18. Nkurunziza, Alphonse & Zuidgeest, Mark & Brussel, Mark & Van Maarseveen, Martin, 2012. "Examining the potential for modal change: Motivators and barriers for bicycle commuting in Dar-es-Salaam," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 249-259.
    19. Clauss, Thomas & Döppe, Sebastian, 2016. "Why do urban travelers select multimodal travel options: A repertory grid analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 93-116.
    20. Hoffmann, Christin & Abraham, Charles & Skippon, Stephen M. & White, Mathew P., 2018. "Cognitive construction of travel modes among high-mileage car users and non-car users – A Repertory Grid analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 216-233.
    21. Wolf, Ingo & Schröder, Tobias, 2019. "Connotative meanings of sustainable mobility: A segmentation approach using cultural sentiments," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 259-280.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:78:y:2015:i:c:p:113-123. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/547/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.