The Role of Environmental Awareness in Transport Mobility Behaviour: Evidence from Survey-Based Approach in Catania (Italy)

Abstract

According to the European Environment Agency (EEA) estimates, road transport represents one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. Reducing its environmental impact is a key challenge in achieving sustainable mobility systems. While policies are increasingly oriented toward low-carbon fuels, zero-emission technologies, and modal shifts to public transport, recent research has highlighted the growing importance of users’ perceptions and attitudes in influencing mobility behaviors. Environmental awareness has emerged as a key factor in shaping transport choices. Based on this premise, this study investigates the role of environmental awareness in the transport mode choices of citizens in Catania (Italy), a context characterized by high motorization rates and traffic congestion. Based on a structured questionnaire administered to a sample of 1,373 respondents via both CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing) and CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing) techniques, the analysis explores the association between environmental awareness and variables such as frequency of public transport use, gender, age, and occupational status. Respondents’ awareness was assessed with reference to air quality, traffic congestion, and noise pollution through a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive and non-parametric statistical analyses (i.e. Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn’s post-hoc) were applied to examine correlations between awareness and socio-demographic variables, as well as travel behaviour. Effect size was also computed to assess the practical relevance of the results. The findings provide valuable insights for designing more targeted and effective sustainable mobility policies, especially in contexts with high car dependency. Further research will examine how the willingness to adopt alternative transport varies according to personal motivation and perceived convenience.