Autonomous Vehicles and Ride-pooling: Insights from a qualitative study

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) promise to revolutionise our travel patterns in the near future. Novel AV models might emerge, such as AVs with ride-pooling services. Identifying the determinants for AVs' adoption among travellers is critical for multiple stakeholders such as car manufacturing companies and transport policymakers. However, relevant research on how travellers perceive AVs and the motives and barriers to AV adoption in Australia is still in its infancy. This study examines the beforementioned questions by conducting an exploratory online survey with open-ended questions and demographic characteristics. We analysed the responses from 275 undergraduates from the University of Western Australia (UWA). NVivo was used for the qualitative data and SPSS for the quantitative data. The results show positive attitudes towards both ride-pooling services and AVs. We further identified three primary motivations and five barriers to AV adoption. "Service quality" was found as the most important motivation and "safety" the largest barrier. In the end, this study discusses the findings and provides suggestions for relevant parties.