To help automated bus services to be competitive in the market, understanding what factors influence the public’s acceptance and adoption of an automated bus service and how these factors change over time is critical. Various factors affect users’ acceptance of this new bus mode, with the quality of service standing out as a significant consideration. Based on pilot demonstrations, some prior studies have explored the factors influencing the user acceptance of new automated vehicle technology based on real-life riding experience. However, these studies are restricted to predicting the adoption of an automated bus by utilising cross-sectional data, but with no data to explore whether public attitudes and acceptance would change over time. To fill the research gap, a longitudinal survey was conducted. Using the panel data, the present study focuses on users with real-world riding experiences on automated buses operated in a mixed-traffic environment on public roads in Stockholm. Contributing to the longitudinal analysis of the public’s acceptance of automated buses, we develop a novel conceptual model integrating the service quality and the technology acceptance model (TAM). A dynamic structural equation model is employed to explore the changes in judging criteria regarding service adoption among adopters and non-adopters. The findings indicate that comfort and convenience are the most significant determinants of satisfaction and the perception of usefulness, which, in turn, positively affect people’s adoption intentions, as well as encouraging favourable word-of-mouth behaviour. It is expected that the provision of faster, safer, more comfortable and convenient riding experiences with automated buses will eventually increase the use of these buses, as well as improve word-of-mouth communication.

中文翻译：

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用户接受和推荐自动公交车的时间模式


为了帮助自动公交服务在市场上保持竞争力，了解哪些因素会影响公众对自动公交服务的接受和采用，以及这些因素如何随时间变化，这一点至关重要。各种因素会影响用户对这种新公交模式的接受度，其中服务质量是一个重要的考虑因素。基于试点演示，一些先前的研究已经根据现实生活中的骑行体验探讨了影响用户接受新型自动驾驶汽车技术的因素。然而，这些研究仅限于通过利用横断面数据来预测自动驾驶公交车的采用，但没有数据来探讨公众的态度和接受度是否会随着时间的推移而改变。为了填补研究空白，进行了一项纵向调查。利用面板数据，本研究的重点是在斯德哥尔摩公共道路上的混合交通环境中运营的自动驾驶公交车上具有真实乘车体验的用户。为了对公众对自动驾驶公交车的接受度进行纵向分析，我们开发了一种新颖的概念模型，该模型集成了服务质量和技术接受模型 （TAM）。采用动态结构方程模型来探讨采用者和非采用者之间服务采用的判断标准的变化。研究结果表明，舒适和便利是满意度和有用性感知的最重要决定因素，这反过来又对人们的收养意愿产生积极影响，并鼓励良好的口碑行为。 预计自动驾驶公交车提供更快、更安全、更舒适和方便的乘车体验，最终将增加这些公交车的使用，并改善口碑传播。