Impacts of impression changes on freeway driver intention to adopt electronic toll collection service

This paper proposes conceptual frameworks incorporating technology acceptance model, theory of planned behavior and three additional constructs – impression changes, attitude of government, and risk to investigate the factors affecting freeway driver intention to adopt electronic toll collection service for both users and nonusers of electronic toll collection. The proposed frameworks are unique because of the incorporation of media and word-of-mouth effects to represent the impression changes, respectively. The respondents were specifically asked about their impressions of electronic toll collection related policies and strategies spread through media and word-of-mouth before and after electronic toll collection operation. Estimated results obtained from structural equations modeling validate that impression changes in both media and word-of-mouth exhibit significant direct or indirect effects on freeway driver intention to adopt electronic toll collection service. Corresponding strategies to enhance electronic toll collection adoption rate are then proposed accordingly.

► This paper aims to investigate the factors affecting freeway driver intention to adopt ETC service for both ETC users and nonusers.
► Impressions of drivers on ETC related policies and strategies spread through media and word-of-mouth are collected.
► Estimated results of structural equations modeling validate impression changes in both media and word-of-mouth exhibit significant effects on freeway driver intention to adopt ETC service.