ENABLERS AND BARRIERS IN THE USAGE OF HUMAN POWERED VEHICLES: AN INTERPRETIVE STRUCTURAL MODELLING APPROACH

Abstract

A human powered vehicle is a pedal powered method of transportation. In today’s world, where Global Warming is one of the major issues threatening the existence of Human beings on earth, and daily increasing count of vehicles running on fossil fuels are leading to further damages to this planet, Human Powered Vehicles play an important role in combating with the damages and providing an option for a sustainable future. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors affecting the usage of Human Powered Vehicles in terms of enablers and barriers. Using Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM), this study further explains their nature, significance, and mutual influences. This study uses the ISM method to find the inter-dependence among various enabler and barrier factors and use it to provide solutions and recommendations to harness the enablers and reduce the barriers in the usage and promotion of Human Powered Vehicles. The different factors listed under enablers and barriers were determined through primary survey and discussion. 11 factors were finalised under enablers category and 9 factors under barriers category, and then ISM was applied. In terms of enablers, after the final modelling, traffic congestion was found as the most important factor. Whereas, in terms of barriers, potholes on the road, long distance between workplace and home, fear of accidents, slow movement of cycles and comparatively more time taken were found as the most important factors. An important aspect that evolved is that almost all factors have strong interdependence and have to be seen in coherence when analysing their impacts on the usage of Human Powered Vehicles. A framework of the interrelationships between the factors influencing improvement in the usage of Human Powered Vehicles is proposed in this study.