Does the implementation of urban freight transport policies and measures affect stakeholders’ behavior?

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate potential changes in stakeholders’ behavior towards Urban Freight Transport (UFT) policies and measures. In order to capture such behavioral changes, an online questionnaire survey was conducted in 12 European cities, and feedback was received from 292 stakeholders, including supply chain stakeholders, public authorities and other stakeholders. Stakeholders were asked to rate in a scale from 1 to 5, twelve variables, namely: green reputation, diffusion of information, perceived alternative mobility, quality of life, awareness level, green concern, perceived visual and audio nuisance, motivation for eco-driving, compliance with regulations, enforcement, eco-driving practice before the journey and eco-driving practice after the journey. The latter four variables, supplemented by the appropriate statements, were also used for testing the Transtheoretical Model of Change. In this case, supply chain and other stakeholders were asked to choose one of the six stages of the model that mostly represented their attitudes, before and after the implementation of UFT measures in their city. The analysis of results revealed the changes in stakeholders’ knowledge, attitudes, intention and consequently behavior towards UFT policies and measures, and useful conclusions were drawn about the proportion of those stakeholders who have repudiated their previous unsustainable behavior and established the new “desired” behavior. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.