AN ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC USE BICYCLE SYSTEMS FROM A PRODUCT- SERVICE SYSTEM PERSPECTIVE

Recent studies on sustainability indicate that the concept of the Product-Service System (PSS) is a promising approach to dematerialise the economy and reduce the environmental impacts of industrial and consumption activities. Considering the urban scale, mobility is one of the challenges that should be addressed and improved for a better quality of life for residents and lower pollution levels for the environment. In this respect, this study aims at analysing Public Use Bicycle (PUB) systems from a PSS perspective. Six PUB systems implemented in different countries in Europe have been investigated based on the products and services they contain and the business context they are in. The results of this investigation indicate that PUB systems have the potential to increase the use of public transport and hence to decrease the environmental load of personal mobility activities. Further, it has been determined that how the products and services are combined, and how the business context is structured are important considerations in the design of sustainable PUB systems.