Description:
The current fast-paced development of the modern world has caused a massive need for mobility. With a 7.3% increase in Sri Lanka‟s GDP in 2013 (Economic and Social Statistics of Sri Lanka 2014, Central Bank of Sri Lanka), the number of vehicles bought also increased by approximately 12% that year. According to statistics published by the Daily Mirror newspaper which cites the National Transport Commission and Central Bank, the total amount of cars which enter Colombo every day is 170,000. Out of the total 500,000 vehicles that enter Colombo daily, 87% are private vehicles and 6% are public vehicles. These public vehicles, carry 52% of the total passengers who enter Colombo. Only 44% of the passengers who enter the Colombo City are carried in private vehicles. 31% of the vehicles are cars and the average occupancy of these vehicles is around 1.8 people. This has led to a large number of low-occupancy vehicles in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. The objective of this research is to identify the factors that could possibly influence people to shift towards carpooling in the Western Province of Sri Lanka.