Local residents’ willingness to donate for low carbon city initiatives in Taiping, Perak: proposed e-bike-sharing project

The transport sector in Malaysia ranked second in the country's total energy consumption for 2021, thereby contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Numerous cities strive to attain low-carbon urban environments. E-bikes, as environmentally friendly vehicles, have the potential to play a significant role in urban transportation by contributing to the creation of low-carbon cities. Taiping, Perak, has been recognised as one of the world's top 3 most sustainable cities for 2019. This prestigious accolade positions it as an ideal location for an e-bike project, further solidifying its commitment to maintaining its status as a sustainable city. This study seeks to evaluate the awareness and attitudes of Taiping residents towards e-bikes, determine the factors that influence their willingness to donate, and ascertain the average amount they are willing to contribute to the e-bike-sharing development project in Taiping, Perak. A survey was conducted with 385 respondents using the Contingent Valuation Method, employing stratified random sampling. The findings indicated a notable level of awareness and favourable attitudes towards e-bikes. Factors such as bid, age, education, income, and awareness impact the willingness to donate. On average, each person contributes RM10.40 towards the proposed e-bike-sharing project in Taiping. The discovery offered valuable insights to the Taiping Municipal Council regarding securing financial support and better understanding residents' perspectives on e-bike sharing.