Ridesourcing apps like Uber, Grab, and DiDi have become ubiquitous in cities around the world but have also attracted much backlash from established taxi companies.
Ridesourcing apps like Uber, Grab, and DiDi have become ubiquitous in cities around the world but have also attracted much backlash from established taxi companies. Despite its adoption worldwide, regulation of ridesourcing services still varies greatly in different parts of the world - as policy makers struggle to assess its impact on the economy and society, with limited information and yet unidentified risks involved. One major consideration to improve mobility and sustainability in cities is whether ridesourcing apps serve as a substitute or complement for public transits. In an ideal situation, ridesourcing could complement transit service and help to reduce private car usage. However, as an alternative travel mode, it may also substitute for the transit.
To understand more about this and the impact upon cities, Hui Kong, Xiaohu Zhang, Jinhua Zhao from SMART Future Urban Mobility IRG and MIT JTL Urban Mobility Lab recently conducted a study that investigates the relationship between ridesourcing and public transit using ridesourcing data. Their findings were published in a research paper “How does Ridesourcing Substitute for Public Transit? A geospatial perspective in Chengdu, China” in the Journal of Transport Geography, and with a visualization of the study available here. Future Urban Mobility (FM) is an interdisciplinary research group (IRG) of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore.
Read more at Singapore-MIT Alliance For Research And Technology (Smart)
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
