Understanding ownership and use of powered two wheelers in Melbourne

Increasing concerns over traffic congestion, safety, availability of energy sources and environmental issues such as pollution and climate change have led to growing interest in sustainable urban transport. These challenges arise from the rapid growth of motor vehicle ownership and use in urban areas. While most of the focus has been on motorcars, the role, use and sustainability impacts of Powered Two Wheelers (P2Ws) have received relatively little attention by comparison. Sales of P2Ws in Australian cities have grown rapidly during the last decade, but there is little knowledge of the factors that influence the ownership and use of P2Ws in Australian cities. This paper identifies characteristics of the households who have P2Ws as well as the usage patterns of P2Ws in Melbourne. A range of disparate data has been analysed in an effort to understand the complex demand patterns associated with P2Ws. The insights gained will be required to develop policies for managing P2Ws in the context of a sustainable urban transport mode. The Victoria Integrated Survey of Travel and Activity (VISTA) conducted in 2007 was used for exploratory analysis. Characteristics of households with P2Ws as well differences between the purpose and duration of trips using P2Ws and other vehicles were determined. An extensive patrol survey was undertaken in Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD) to gain insights into the role of P2Ws in commuting demand.