User adoption, perceived benefits, and challenges of a campus bicycle-sharing initiative at the University of Ghana

The global expansion of bicycle-sharing systems has generated interest in their applicability within university campuses. Adopting the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Sustainability Theory, this study investigates the Aldin bicycle-sharing initiative at the University of Ghana. The study examines users’ awareness, usage patterns, factors influencing adoption, perceived benefits and challenges, and the initiative’s contribution to sustainability and community culture. Data were collected from 330 respondents using a structured questionnaire that employed validated UTAUT scales and sustainability measures. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression were employed for data analysis. Findings revealed moderate awareness levels, with performance expectancy (β = 0.56, p ' 0.001) and effort expectancy (β = 0.71, p ' 0.001) emerging as the strongest predictors of behavioural intention, collectively explaining 61% of variance. Notably, social influence and facilitating conditions did not significantly predict adoption, suggesting that users’ perceptions of usefulness and ease of use supersede peer influence and infrastructural factors in this context. Users identified convenience, cost savings, and health benefits as key advantages, while safety concerns, inadequate infrastructure, and limited communication emerged as primary challenges. The initiative was perceived as contributing positively to environmental sustainability and fostering community cohesion on campus. The findings suggest that programme administrators should prioritize communication strategies that emphasise concrete benefits and ease of use, expand bicycle availability and parking infrastructure, and align the initiative with broader institutional sustainability frameworks and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3, 11, and 13).