Modal shift: Disrupting habits to make sustainable transport the norm

Shifting away from car-based transport toward more sustainable modes is central to reducing congestion and improving air quality in urban areas. Achieving this shift requires more than just building bike lanes or improving public transport networks. Travel behaviours are deeply habitual, which makes changing them a significant challenge. 

Behavioural science helps explain why people choose to drive a car, favouring immediate convenience over long-term financial, health or environmental benefits – a tendency known as present bias. For example, even when we suspect traffic or parking difficulties, the perceived ease of picking up the car keys instead of walking 5 minutes to the nearest bus stop may lead us to go with the unsustainable option. 

Moments of disruption — such as moving to a new area, starting a job, or even navigating road closures and temporary construction sites — offer key opportunities to reshape travel habits. Well-timed interventions – like behaviourally-informed signage directing people to cycling routes or incentives for shared mobility services – can make it easier for people to embrace sustainable options. Even on a daily basis, timely prompts or rewards (such as discounts for travelling during off-peak hours) can disrupt routine decisions and encourage people to rethink their travel choices.

Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS): Going beyond ease of use with tailored incentives

Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platforms offer a promising solution to integrate various transport modes — public transit, car-sharing, e-scooters, and more — into a single app, making sustainable mobility more convenient. User-friendly design is crucial, especially since users are accustomed to simplicity from journey planning apps like Google Maps. However, MaaS platforms need to go beyond just ease of use (Mola et al., 2020) to actively guide users toward greener choices by offering convenience and value.

To shift behaviour away from cars, MaaS platforms can employ behavioural insights to design promotional content, financial incentives, and loyalty rewards. Gamification features, like leaderboards, or the ability to coordinate trips with friends can further motivate users to make environmentally conscious decisions. How choices are presented, or what users are defaulted into all have a significant impact on their ultimate travel decision. Moreover, different users are driven by different motivations — some may prioritise health benefits, while others focus on reducing their environmental footprint. Analysing travel behaviour and engagement with the app, and customising the nudges sent to individuals is essential for lasting behaviour change.

Our innovative experimental methodology of creating highly realistic simulations of digital platforms without needing direct access to the actual platforms, allows us to test how elements of digital environments influence behaviour. This could be applied to test ticketing options, pricing models, and different nudges. For example, we could test whether pre-paid travel packages might unintentionally encourage unnecessary trips, or whether changing the order that choices are presented in, or the information displayed (such as showing carbon savings or calories burned from active travel) affects user behaviour.

EV Adoption: Overcoming real and perceived psychological barriers

Electric vehicles (EVs) are essential for reducing transport emissions and achieving climate goals, but widespread adoption still faces barriers. Although EV sales have increased in recent years, they represent a small portion of the total vehicle fleet. Behavioural science can help overcome the real and perceived barriers to EV adoption.

Common concerns such as high upfront costs, limited range, and charging infrastructure often loom larger in perception than in reality. For instance, while EVs have higher purchase prices, their lower running costs make them more affordable in the long term. However, behavioural biases, like focusing on immediate costs, prevent many from recognizing this advantage.

Many people assume charging will be inconvenient, imagining long waits at public stations. In practice, most EV owners charge at home overnight, much like charging a phone, but this routine is unfamiliar to non-EV drivers. Offering test drives and integrating EVs into rental fleets can help shift these perceptions, as experiencing the ease and performance of EVs firsthand often changes attitudes.

Segmenting the potential target population and understanding the needs of different segments of the adoption curve and tailoring incentives accordingly is crucial. For instance, messages, incentives, and offers should look different for people who are just becoming aware of EVs to those who are convinced that they want one. Likewise for consumers who want to reduce their carbon footprint versus those looking to save on fuel costs.

Traffic restrictions: Shifting and surfacing social norms

Lastly, traffic restrictions, pedestrian zones, and low-traffic neighbourhoods contribute to greener, safer, and healthier cities. Despite all these benefits, such measures can initially feel restrictive for avid car-drivers, particularly in areas built around car travel.

Taking a behavioural approach to highlight the "silent majority" who actually support these changes is key to shifting social norms. Redesigning communications about the upcoming changes or public consultations to highlight the benefits in a way that resonates with car-drivers too, can ensure that supporters are not drowned out by vocal opposition.

All in all, by combining policies, infrastructure, and behavioural interventions, cities can transform urban mobility into a system that works for people, the planet, and the future.