Environmentally friendly transportation use in Vietnam: Behavioral and policy drivers

Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstractThis study aims to investigate the behavioral and policy drivers of environmentally friendly transportation use in Vietnam by integrating environmental economics with behavioral theories of pro-environmental action. Primary data were collected through a structured online and in-person survey conducted across Vietnam’s northern, central, and southern regions between March and December 2025. The survey targeted respondents with regular daily travel activities to ensure a relevant transportation experience, and 538 valid responses were retained after data screening for analysis. Data were analyzed using PLS-SEM with SmartPLS software. The results show that behavioral intention is the strongest direct predictor among the examined factors of environmentally friendly transportation use (β = 0.472, p < 0.001), followed by perceived behavioral control (β = 0.283, p < 0.001) and benefits awareness (β = 0.108, p < 0.001). Attitude, subjective norm, and personal norm also exert significant positive effects on behavioral intention. Government policies, environmental awareness, and awareness of consequences positively shape personal norms, with government policies exerting the strongest effect (β = 0.450, p < 0.001). In addition, service availability and willingness to pay enhance perceived behavioral control, while ease of use strengthens benefits awareness. These findings highlight that environmentally friendly transportation adoption in Vietnam depends on the joint effects of behavioral motivation, normative influence, and structural feasibility, suggesting that integrated policy approaches are essential for promoting sustainable mobility in developing economies.