Public perception of autonomous car: a case study for Pakistan

Autonomous car (AC) also called a self-driving car is becoming popular around the globe. Recent literature on potential benefits of AC has proven the possibility of introducing it in nearby future. Before implementing this technology at the market level viewing its capital cost, it is essential to explore traveler’s perception of AC. This paper aims to investigate different factors contributing towards AC acceptance (level-5) by traveler’s through a stated preference survey in Pakistan. The survey comprised of the service attributes for two alternatives (AC and popular car) and the socio-demographic characteristics of the traveler’s in the country. Binary Logit and Mixed Logit model were developed to explore the factors contributing towards AC acceptance. Most of the service attributes were found significant with exception of comfortability and confidence level. Nearly all of the socio-demographic characteristics of the travelers including age, education, job, and income were observed to be significantly associated with the AC acceptance. The findings of this study can be used by policymakers and transport planning agencies for possible and timely implementation of this technology in the country.