Understanding Electric Bicycle Users’ Mode Choice Preference under Uncertainty: A Case Study of Shanghai

The electric bicycle is considered as an environmentally friendly mode, the market share of which is growing fast worldwide. Even in metropolitan areas which have a well-developed public transportation system, the usage of electric bicycles continues to grow. Compared with bicycles, the power transferred from the battery enables users to ride faster and have long-distance trips. However, research on electric bicycle travel behavior is inadequate. This paper proposes a cumulative prospect theory (CPT) framework to describe electric bicycle users’ mode choice behavior. Different from the long-standing use of utility theory, CPT considers travelers’ inconsistent risk attitudes. Six socioeconomic characteristics are chosen to discriminate conservative and adventurous electric bicycle users. Then, a CPT model is established which includes two parts: travel time and travel cost. We calculate the comprehensive cumulative prospect value (CPV) for four transportation modes (electric bicycle, bus, subway and private car) to predict electric bicycle users’ mode choice preference under different travel distance ranges. The model is further validated via survey data.

TYPOLOGY OF PRIVATE CAR USERS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN KAYURINGIN JAYA

<p>The Covid-19 Pandemic was indicated in March 2020, which has changed people's daily activities patterns. Implementing the restricting regulation imposed by the government made some of the people's daily activities diverted to an online system. As a result, community mobility has decreased, especially on private car usage. However, there is a shift in vehicle usage which many people are starting to switch their mode to the private car in daily travel. This condition was predicted would continue even after the Pandemic ends. The increase in private car usage will worsen the congestion than before the Covid-19 Pandemic appropriate steps and handling are needed to prevent the increase in congestion. One of them is by knowing the characteristics and journeys of private car users during the Covid-19 Pandemic. This research is a typology of private car users during the Covid-19 Pandemic to identify the similarities and differences in the characteristics possessed by each private car user through the typological groups formed. Through this research, it can be seen the movement patterns and characteristics of the people who use private cars. This study uses the Hierarchical Cluster Analysis method. The analysis is based on several variables such as private car usage frequency variables, socioeconomic characteristics variables, demographic variables, household variables, and household travel patterns object of this research is 107 households which are owners and use of private cars for further analysis and form clusters of private car users that have the same characteristics of each cluster. The typology of private car users is compiled based on the unique characteristics possessed by each cluster that is formed. The results of this study are 8 typologies of private car users, which are divided from intensive users to irregular users. Typology 1 has the largest number of respondents and dominates the frequency of trips by private car users. The benefit of this research for the government is as input in the formulation of policies to regulate the use of private cars so that the policies taken by the government can be right on target</p>

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF INTENT ON ZAKATABLE REAL ESTATE: A JURISTIC ANALYSIS

Real estate remains one of the most significant properties for personal use and investment purposes. Individual institutions and corporate bodies operate on real estate properties. In recent times, there have been several concerns among zakatable individuals and organizations on the shariah criteria for identifying zakatable real estate properties because of the difference between assets for personal use and commercial purposes. There is 'arūd tijārah (commodities for sale) such as real estate, land, car, and goods in real estate investment. On the other hand, 'arūd quniyyah, (durable properties) are intended for personal use such as a private house, private car, private vacation home. This study aims to conceptually analyze the concept of intention in Islam and its juristic interpretations to distinguish between zakatable and non- zakatable real estate properties. This study relies on the inductive approach in gathering and arranging data from classical and modern literature. It also uses the descriptive method in explaining the basic terms in the research. The study found that real estate owners' intent influences the asset's zakat status. First, 'arūd quniyyah (real estate) are durable assets, meant for personal use, are Zakat free, while the real 'arūd tijārah (estate commercial assets) are subject to Zakat. The commercial assets can also be for sale and rental. The study finally suggests that zakat calculations of zakatable real estate should be subjected to supervision and validation of competent contemporary Shariah scholars to ascertain juristic position on the distinctions between zakatable and non-zakatable assets.

Understanding Gender, Income and Travel Behavior in Casablanca City – Morocco

Objective: The purpose of this paper is to extend the research on gendered differences in travel behavior in developing countries by analyzing travel behavior variability within as well as across gender and income groups in the case of Casablanca city. Methods: Data from the 2018 Casablanca Travel Survey show that overall, women are less mobile than men, make fewer work-related trips and more household maintenance trips, but these differences are heterogeneously distributed across income groups. With the increase in income, women tend to carry out more trips than men; the inverse is observed for the middle- and low-income categories. Results: While for the lowest income groups, walking is the most predominant mode for both men and women, we notice that the private car has the highest modal share within the highest income groups as with the increase in household income, both genders avoid non-motorized transport modes. The particular status of women in some households as breadwinners and reproducers as well as the socio-cultural context of the city shape their mobility and the choice of their activities. Conclusion: Hence, these findings suggest, from a policy perspective, that the public transit system along with spatial planning strategies need to be improved to help overcome women's mobility constraints, especially when they belong to low-income households so they can fully access the city amenities and opportunities. On the other hand, transport policies need to be not only gender-sensitive but also “vulnerable groups” sensitive as mobility impediments are similarly experienced by males and females in some contexts.

Heavy metals in private car dusts collected from Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Gambang Campus: Contamination and human health risks

A pilot study was conducted to investigate the concentrations of seven heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cr, Cd, Fe, Ni and Pb) in private car dusts collected from Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Gambang campus. Ten private cars were selected among UMP staffs and students, and the dust samples were obtained by using a conventional vacuum cleaner with a clean nylon sampling sock pre-inserted into the suction nozzle. All samples were acid-digested with aqua regia solution and analysed for metal concentration using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). The highest mean concentrations were recorded for Fe (650± 480 mg/kg), followed by Zn (160 ± 110 mg/kg), Cu (76.2 ± 18.5 mg/kg), Pb (39.2 ± 99.1 mg/kg), Ni (6.39 ± 8.30 mg/kg), Cr (3.42 ± 5.90 mg/kg) and Cd (0.55 ± 1.40 mg/kg). Hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) values lower than 1 indicated no potential non-carcinogenic risks to the adult drivers.

Analysis of Bus Fare Structure to Observe Modal Shift, Operator Profit, and Land-Use Choices through Combined Unified Transport Model

In order to design sustainable urban transport systems, the inclusion of the behaviors of different stakeholders is imperative. In this study, we formulated the interactions of behaviors between transport operator, landowner, workplace, residence, route and mode choices, and location of firms and businesses through a combined unified model of land-use and transport system. The commuters have two mode choices for traveling: private car and public bus. They are inclined to choose a transit mode with minimum traveling costs. We combined two models, maximization of operator profit constrained by bus frequency, while maintaining the formulation of other stakeholders through an assignment sub-model. The resulting formulation is bi-level, which is optimally solved for a small-sized instance containing two zones. The findings suggest that if the bus fare is reduced, the demand of public bus is increased. However, the operators’ profit is optimized within a certain range of fares and is lowered when the fare is too low or too high. It is determined that maximum bus frequency does not guarantee maximum profit to the service operator. The impacts of traveling costs on residence choice behavior suggest that if link fares are more, many of people opt not to travel between different zones. The analysis results presented in this paper are calculated for two types of link fares: a fixed fare (30 currency), and a range of link fare (5 to 100 currency). Different variants of the same formulation can be applied for real settings to better comprehend the nature of the model and its applications.

Sustainable Urban Transport—Why a Fast Investment in a Complete Cycling Network Is Most Profitable for a City

The development of safe cycling as a mode of transport is an important objective of the transformation towards sustainable mobility in European cities. A significant number of European cities are faced with the need to implement the assumptions of the European Green Deal, of which the promotion of sustainable urban transport is a part. The article presented a simulation of the Perfect Cycling City Model in real conditions that inspired the design of two scenarios for the fast development of bicycle routes in a key transport network area in Warsaw. Scenario 1 assumes building subsidiary bicycle routes and links between the main routes. In Scenario 2, the development of all optimal cycling links at the local level is assumed. An increase in cycling participation is expected in both scenarios. The comparison of projected costs of each scenario indicated that building a complete network of connections is more profitable in terms of increased cycling participation and could counter the dominance of private car use. For this to happen, measures encouraging individuals combined with improved safety and convenience of cycling around the city must be undertaken.

A Typology of Attitudes towards the E-Bike against the Background of the Traditional Bicycle and the Car

Although it is generally accepted that innovators and early adopters have a particular influence on the uptake of electric bikes, other groups, whose reactions to innovation have not been studied, are perhaps wrongly marginalised. Such individuals, often relying on stereotypes, also need to be included in researchers’ scope of interest. Therefore, the aim of the CAWI survey was to determine the attitudes of respondents, both users and non-users of electric bikes, and on this basis to classify by k-means analysis the attitudes towards the e-bike compared to the traditional bicycle and the car. The results obtained show a large variation between the designated classes. What most of them have in common is a strong attachment to the private car, which is typical for the cycling culture of this part of Europe, but the psycho-physical characteristics of the surveyed remain the strongest differentiating factor. Therefore, in the light of the opinions collected, it seems that the group Gadget lovers 1 and 2, whose share was about one-quarter of the total number surveyed, may be the most inclined to change their transport behaviour. This means that the e-bike, as an innovation, can overcome a critical discontinuity stage on the innovation diffusion curve in the Innovation Adaptation Lifecycle (IAL).

Mobility-on-demand pricing versus private vehicle TCO: how cost structures hinder the dethroning of the car

This study uses a unique dataset on the cost of motoring in Germany to analyse cost competitiveness of emerging mobility-on-demand (MOD) services. Previous studies have focused on comparing current and projected MOD prices with the average cost of private motoring. This study quantifies which proportion of private car travel would actually turn out to be costlier than MOD given that MOD costs drop below certain levels relative to the cost of private motoring. In this context, not the average but the distribution of the costs of motoring are the key issue. These costs are strongly skewed across the cars in private households when including new and old vehicles: a large proportion of private car kilometres are driven at relatively low cost. The study uses simplified scenario settings with MOD price levels ranging from 0.1 €/km to 1.5 €/km to make predictions of hypothetical modal shifts under the assumption that car user switch to the most economic mode of travel. These modal shifts serve as an indicator of MOD cost competitiveness. The results indicate that MOD prices would have to drop to 0.5 €/km or lower to have a notable impact on use of the private car if cost was the key mode choice criterion. Only if MOD prices drop down to a level of about 0.3 €/km—quite possibly a lower boundary for automated MOD—MOD-enabled mobility packages would be the less costly alternative to the private car for a substantial proportion of mileage. However, even at that MOD price level, the private car would still be the most economic option for the majority of today’s car user kilometres. Our findings illustrate that the skewed distribution of the cost of owning and running private cars—where many of those who drive much drive inexpensively—substantially dampens the disruptive potential of MOD. While we use data from Germany to illustrate this, many of our findings are more widely applicable.

Barriers to Optimal Acute Management of Stroke: Perspective of a Stroke Center in Mexico City

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to identify the main barriers to optimal acute management of stroke in a referral center.Methods: Demographic data was collected from patients assessed with acute stroke in the emergency department of the Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía (INNN) from January to June 2019. Additionally, a telephone interview was conducted with patients/primary caregiver to know which they considered the main reason for the delay in arrival at INNN since the onset of stroke.Results: 116 patients were assessed [age 65 ± 15 years, 67 (57.8%) men]. Patients consulted other facilities prior to arrival at INNN in 59 (50.9%) cases (range of hospitals visited 1–4), 83 (71.6%) arrived in a private car, with prenotification in only 4 (3.4%) of the total sample. The mean onset-to-door time was 17 h (45 min−10 days). Telephone interviews were done in 61 patients/primary caregivers, stating that they consider the multiple evaluations in other facilities [n = 26/61 (42.6%)] as the main reason for delay in arrival at the ED, followed by ignorance of stroke symptoms and treatment urgency [n = 21/61 (34.4%)].Conclusion: In this small, retrospective, single center study, the main prehospital barrier to optimal acute management of stroke in a developing country is multiple medical evaluations prior to the patient's transport to a specialized stroke hospital, who mostly arrived in a private car and without prenotification. These barriers can be overcome by strengthening public education and improving patient transfer networks and telemedicine.