B1438
Title: Eliciting preferences for adoption of autonomous vehicles in Saudi Arabia: Discrete choice experiments
Authors: Abdulrahman Sultan S Alamri - RMIT University (Australia) [presenting]
Abstract: In a world marked by rapid technological progress and digital transformation, autonomous vehicles (AV) are undergoing a noteworthy evolution, prominently featuring the ascent of self-driving vehicles. Assessing possible changes in consumer preferences and their ramifications on self-driving transportation holds significant importance for governmental and transportation planning organisations. Despite its undeniable significance, there exists a notable lack of empirical studies concerning user preferences in a scenario where AVs are available. Notably, Saudi Arabia remains a relatively unexplored context within this domain, warranting deeper examination. To close this gap, an online questionnaire utilizing stated preference methods was administered. The survey evaluated participants' inclinations towards forthcoming transportation modes through paired-choice experiments. The multinomial logit model was estimated to understand how AVs will perform in the market and identify areas for improvement that will elicit consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for autonomous driving systems in Saudi Arabia and their WTP for increased safety, fuel efficiency and privacy. The investigation into the subject of shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) indicates that the preference for individually owned autonomous cars is more favourable than choosing SAVs which reveals a possible discrepancy between the individual benefits of autonomous driving and the broader societal objectives.
