Determinants of ridesharing services adoption in Kuala Lumpur / Razieman Mohd Yusoff

The expansion of ridesharing services around the globe rapidly becoming a phenomenon. It practically changed the logistical fabric of cities around the world. Technological advancements such as Global Positioning System (GPS) and mobile internet services gave operators such as Uber and Grab the ability to come out with an effective fleet management, namely ridesharing services. Ridesharing service is broadly defined in this study as private sharing fleet services facilitated by smartphones and geo-location technology, offering consumer with alternatives and lower price for a private ride. This study aims to investigate influential factors behind ridesharing services adoption amongst urban residents in Kuala Lumpur. Six variables were formed based on past researches; Attitude, Operational Characteristics, Knowledge, Alternative Travel Modes Preferences, Adoption Intention and Ridesharing Services Adoption. Judgmental sampling employed to 1000 specific respondents and data collection was done from April to May 2016. In addition, interview with Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) officers were conducted to gain input from their perspective in regards of ridesharing issues as well as observation on local taxi drivers, Uber and Grab drivers. Preliminary result from pilot test conducted on 30 respondents showed reliability test for each variable exceeded minimum level of .70 for Cronbach's Alpha. The overall response rate was 41.5% and missing value was less than 5%. The end result indicated favourability towards the aspects of accessibility, usefulness, trendy and private car preference. Intention was found to mediate between variables and ridesharing adoption.