Youth and shared mobility: Unveiling intentions in Kathmandu's gig economy

• In Nepal, shared vehicles target young consumers as a key market for this emerging transportation option. • This study examines youth's intentions to use shared vehicles. • The findings reveal that environmental concerns have significant impacts on attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. • Subjective norms strongly influence intentions to use shared vehicles, consistent with the Theory of Planned Behavior. Youths in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal have abundant opportunities to experience private motorization through shared transportation without owning vehicles. Ride-sharing is a new mode of transportation in Nepal where young people are an important market segment for vehicle-sharing organisations. In this context, this study investigated youths’ behavioral intentions toward adopting ride-sharing practices. Following the explanatory research methodology, 396 responses were collected from youths in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. The findings reveal that environmental concerns significantly impact attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Similarly, subjective norms have a substantial impact on behavioural intentions towards the adoption of ride-sharing that align with the theory of planned behaviour.