Relationship between the need for interaction and the intention to use autonomous bus shuttles

Kurzfassung

Autonomous bus shuttles are increasingly regarded as a promising solution for future public transport systems. However, the absence of human operators raises important questions regarding user acceptance and the role of human interaction in autonomous mobility. The present study investigated the relationship between the need for interaction with service employees (NFI-SE) and behavioral intention to use autonomous bus shuttles, with particular focus on the presence versus absence of an on-board operator. Using a within-subjects design, 275 participants evaluated autonomous bus shuttle scenarios with and without an on-board operator in an online vignette-based study. Results revealed a small but statistically significant overall preference for the staffed bus shuttle condition. Furthermore, NFI-SE significantly moderated this relationship, indicating that individuals with higher levels of NFI-SE showed a stronger preference for shuttles with an on-board operator, whereas individuals with lower levels of NFI-SE preferred the fully driverless scenario. However, effect sizes were small, suggesting that personnel presence represents only one of several determinants of autonomous shuttle acceptance. In addition, an exploratory post hoc analysis further identified a significant moderating effect of gender. Specifically, female participants showed a stronger preference for staffed autonomous shuttles than male participants. These findings extend existing technology acceptance research by demonstrating that the effects of human presence in autonomous mobility are not universal but depend on individual user characteristics. The results suggest that on-board operators may function as trust-building agents during the transition toward fully autonomous public transport systems. Practical implications for the deployment of autonomous shuttles and directions for future research are discussed