The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Default user image.

Till Koglin

Senior lecturer

Default user image.

Electric bike (non)users’ health and comfort concerns pre and peri a world pandemic (COVID-19): A qualitative study

Author

  • Khashayar Kazemzadeh
  • Till Koglin

Summary, in English

Introduction: The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic affects different domains of society,including the transport system. Due to the impacts of social distancing, research concerningelectric bike (e-bike) applications and non(user) health and comfort concerns is needed. Thisresearch aims to understand the health and comfort concerns of e-bike (non)users in both pre (PR)and peri (PE) pandemic situations and explore how the PE situation triggers (non)users to use e-bikes.Methods: An interpretive description qualitative method in the form of semi-structured interviewswas used to gather the empirical material for this research.Results: Twenty-three (non)user participants were interviewed in the PR situation, and 12 of theseparticipants were interviewed again in the PE situation. The comfort provided by the e-bike didnot outweigh its cost as a factor for nonusers considering investing in the e-bikes in the PR situation.However, nonusers acknowledged that e-bikes can serve as substitutes for public transportby eliminating social interactions and consequently potential health concerns, in addition toproviding comfortable mobility. E-bike users were in agreement concerning physical activity andthe health benefits of using e-bikes in the PR situation. Their opinions differed slightly, as womenplaced less emphasis on the physical activity provided by e-bike use. However, gender opinionsconverged regarding health concerns about using public transport in PE situations. Infrastructurefacilities and e-bike performance are evident as users’ comfort concerns in the PE situation.Conclusion: The results highlight the role of the e-bike in PE situations as a reliable transport modeand suggest that there is considerable potential for e-bikes as substitutes for public transport inthe post-pandemic situation. The findings are applicable to e-bike level-of-service studies in orderto provide an overview of the user’s experience of comfort.

Department/s

  • Transport and Roads

Publishing year

2021

Language

English

Publication/Series

Journal of Transport & Health

Volume

21

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Topic

  • Civil Engineering

Keywords

  • Comfort Pandemic
  • COVID-19
  • Level-of-service
  • Electric bike
  • Health
  • Cycling

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2214-1405