使用者基礎之公共自行車系統再平衡：時間距離效應對願受價格之影響

USER BASED RE-BALANCING FOR PUBLIC BICYCLE SYSTEMS：EFFECTS OF TEMPORAL DISTANCE ON WILLINGNESS-TO-ACCEPT

公共自行車系統業者一般多以車輛調度方式處理因需求在空間上分布不平衡所導致的服務品質問題，然而過往文獻建議以費用折扣為誘因，引導使用者至鄰近站點借、還車亦可改善此不平衡狀況，並降低業者車輛調度成本。為了解使用者至鄰近站點還車之願受價格折扣，本研究以條件評估法設計問卷，考慮有/無時間壓力、立即或延遲折扣、與增加步行或騎車時間共八種情境，以線性迴歸與區間迴歸模型分析臺北市YouBike使用者換站還車之願受價格。結果顯示多數使用者皆願意換站還車，然八個情境之願受價格並無共同顯著影響因素；願受折扣在步行時間增加之情境會高於騎車時間增加之情境。本研究結果能作為公共自行車系統以折扣誘因改善空間分布不平衡的設計參考。

In general, system operators frequently relocate bikes at unbalanced stations to address the downgrade in service quality due to the spatial imbalance
in demand for bike-sharing systems. However, past studies suggested a concept
of user-based re-balancing approach that guides users to return bikes at nearby alternative stations by providing incentives, such as a discount on rental fees.
This demand-oriented approach can mitigate the spatial imbalance between the supply and demand of public bicycles and reduce the operating costs for system operators on bike re-balancing. In order to understand users’willingness to accept (WTA) on the discount incentive for returning bikes to nearby stations,
we designed a questionnaire involving eight scenarios for YouBike users in Taipei City based on the contingent valuation method (CVM). The design of the scenarios includes three major factors: with or without time pressure, immediate
or delayed discount payments, and extra walking or biking time. Linear regression and interval regression models are constructed based on the survey
data to analyze the WTAs in the different scenarios. The analysis results indicate
that most YouBike users will be willing to return bikes at recommended stations
if they receive a discount on rental fees. However, there are no common significant factors in the eight scenarios for both models. Furthermore, users
ask for a more significant discount if requiring extra walking for returning bikes
at other stations, meaning that the time value of walking is higher than that of biking. Finally, the study findings provide references for a user-based
re-balancing approach for public bicycle systems.