Toward sustainable transportation: How dockless bike-sharing reduces car dependency

Although dockless bike-sharing services (DBSs) are now considered a promising technological solution for reducing automobile dependence and traffic-related pollutants, it remains unclear whether and how such technology-enhanced DBSs can actually reduce household private car ownership. By utilizing unique longitudinal microdata from the China Household Finance Survey from 2013 to 2019, this study investigated the causal effect of DBSs on household car ownership using a difference-in-differences method. Our results indicate that the introduction of DBSs has significantly reduced private car ownership in households, especially among low-income households and in cities with high car dependence. Further mechanism analysis demonstrates that the use of DBSs significantly increased the likelihood of individuals choosing public transit while simultaneously reducing the use of car commuting modes. This study offers valuable insights for policymakers on how to effectively utilize bike-sharing services to reduce car dependence and further decrease traffic-related carbon emissions and air pollution.