Predicting the willingness to carry lightweight goods by bike and kick-scooter: A descriptive analysis

Abstract

The social transformation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may contribute to make cities healthier and more sustainable, with more space available for active modes of transport. This paper addresses people's willingness to go shopping by bike or kick-scooter and to transport lightweight goods in cities with low maturity for cycling and scooting. Data collection was based on a survey, applied in the two main urban areas of Brazil (São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) and Portugal (Lisbon and Porto). The dataset was processed considering only two categories of respondents, that is, potential users and regular users. The results indicate that people are willing to transport lightweight goods by bike or kick-scooter, as long as the infrastructure is safe and comfortable. This research contributes to understanding mobility behavior changes and to identifying barriers to shopping by bike or kick-scooter. It also presents some recommendations for improving cycling and scooting use for shopping, which can be carried out by public authorities.