Autonomous Bus Service Utilization Intention Through the Sustainability Theory of Planned Behavior Model and Valence Framework

The emergence of autonomous bus services presents a transformative solution for addressing urban or rural transportation challenges, particularly in developing countries such as the Philippines. There needs to be an evaluation before full deployment for assessment of technology acceptance, people's perception, and people's pro-environmental behavior on actual use of autonomous buses. This study sought to evaluate public utilization intention of autonomous buses by integrating the Sustainability Theory of Planned Behavior with the Valence Framework. The research approach encompassed factors such as Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC), attitude, perceived environmental concerns, economic concerns, perceived authority support, Perceived Costs (PC), Perceived Benefits (PB), and Perceived Risks (PR) to evaluate their impact on Behavioral Intention (BI). A total of 424 responses were collected through online platforms and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results indicated that PBC and PB had the most substantial positive impact on BI, followed by notable effects from environmental concern and perceived authority. In contrast, PR showed no influence, suggesting that users are primarily motivated by perceived benefits and control over usage. Unexpectedly, PC was significant even though it was initially assumed to act as a barrier. This outcome may reflect a distinctive feature of the local context. In this sense, cost may be interpreted not as a burden, but as an indicator of quality or status, something that people are willing to pay for. These findings underscored the importance of sustainability values and fill the gaps in rational evaluation in shaping public acceptance of autonomous vehicles. Further implications of management, theoretical basis, and conceptualization were explained.