A study on the factors affecting the adoption of electric buses among the non-Public Transit users in Ahmedabad, India

The transportation sector has been aiming to reduce the carbon emissions by promoting the use of low emission vehicles. Although the Indian electric vehicle market is dominated by electric two-wheelers and three wheelers, various governmental schemes have boosted the inclusion of electric buses within the urban bus fleet. However, it is essential for the transport authorities to understand the acceptability of the electric buses among the commuters who are not using public transport currently. This paper aims at understanding the preferences of non-public transport users, to assess the probability of them shifting their modal choice towards public transport, and electric buses in particular, within the Indian context. The data has been collected through a Stated Choice experiment from 414 individuals in Ahmedabad. It has been observed that the low-income individuals are found to prefer public transit if the buses are electric with an affordable fare. The results indicate that electrification of urban bus fleet can improve the image of the existing bus services thereby facilitating modal shift towards public transit among the low-income individuals who have shifted to other modes of transport due to the deterioration of the service quality of the existing transit system.