The Car Use Reduction Potential and Modal Shift Impacts of Dockless Bikesharing System - A Case Study of Beijing, China

Dockless bikesharing systems are not only a billion-dollar business but are also supposed to be the solution to a variety of the world’s most pressing problems in urban environments. It is not only a sustainable, efficient, healthy and convenient way of transportation but also bears many environmental and socioeconomic benefits that can supposedly solve the “first and last mile” problem. Even though bikesharing has been around for more than half a century, due to the development of the fourth generation bikesharing, there has been a recent explosion in the number of shared bikes as well as bikesharing programs. Dockless bikesharing is especially popular in China which is home to more than half of the global bikeshare fleet, however, research activity does not reflect this. Much previous research has tried to assess the impact of bikesharing on the reduction of car use and whether it causes people to change their travel behavior. Yet, no consensus has been found among researchers. To fill this research gap, this paper analyzed the modal shift impacts of dockless bikesharing in Beijing through an online survey. Results show 85% of the respondents have at least replaced some of the trips they have previously done by car with bikesharing in combination with public transport services. Furthermore, one out of five respondents now drive a car less frequently and more than half use taxi or car sharing services less often as a result of using bikesharing. Despite all the problem of dockless bikesharing, from a societal point of view, the benefits of bikesharing definitely outweigh the negative aspects and cannot only completely change the way we travel but also improve the living quality of many people.