Carsharing users: socio-demographic characteristics, travel behaviour patterns and consumer preferences. A case study of the city of Poznan, Poland.

Abstract

The paper presents research on carsharing users in Poznan, Poland (an example of a large city in a macro-region of Central Europe, where carsharing is still an innovation to be popularised). The study is based on structured face-to-face interviews with a large sample of 892 drivers analysed using stepwise logit regression. We found that carsharing users are mainly young, educated, single and male; that they regularly use public transport and pay special attention to car equipment and accessories, but at the same time are less concerned about costs than other drivers. Carsharing users drive cars with varying frequency, for a variety of reasons and feel curiosity towards the activity of driving. The results have practical implications for both: local policy-makers (interested in promoting sustainable mobility modes, creating smart cities strategies) and companies operating carsharing systems (formulating advertising strategies).