Air pollution in metropolitan areas would diminish if automobile-commuting households change travel mode, install catalytic converters in the cars they are using, or replace those cars with new ones with catalytic converters. Such behaviour changes are, however, difficult to make because, to varying degrees, they require that households restrain themselves from acting in self interest. With the aim of finding out what factors may affect such self-restraining behaviour changes, a study is reported in which 67 subjects who commuted by car to work stated their intentions to undertake them contingent on increased gasoline price, increased income, rebates on catalytic converters, increased health risks due to air pollution, and increased number of automobile commuters changing travel mode. The results showed that subjects unanimously expressed strong preferences for automobile commuting over other alternatives, at the same time that they were strongly in favour of air-pollution countermeasures. In stating their intentions, subjects took into account all the factors, that were varied independently of each other, with one single exception. There was no clear indication that those subjects, who perceived air-pollution countermeasures more important and felt more responsible for undertaking them, would be more likely to change their travel behaviour. (A)
Abstract