Author(s)

Veng Kheang Phun¹, Reiko Masui², Tetsuo Yai³

¹Research Department, Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
²The Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
³Built Environment Department, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.

Rapid adoption of ride-hailing apps (RHAs) has greatly influenced the way people travel—there is no exception for paratransit users. However, it remains unclear whether RHAs would be regarded as threats or opportunities among paratransit operators in Asian developing cities. While RHAs have been viewed as disruptive transportation, several studies explored the threats of RHAs on taxi industry—but only a few examined such threats on other paratransit services (e.g., auto-rickshaws). This study assessed the changes in the operational services among paratransit operators who have adopted RHAs. The changes were examined by statistical comparisons using data collected from questionnaire survey with 182 Bajaj drivers in Phnom Penh, January 23-27, 2018, as a case study. Results showed that majority of the interviewed drivers started new services with RHAs less than a year ago—they were younger (<40 years old), married, and higher education. After adopting RHAs, the drivers could increase their revenue by increasing the number of trips and customers. They could further achieve a higher revenue by operating with multiple RHAs. Most drivers (>88%) satisfied with RHAs and acknowledged improvements on their operational services. The results suggested that RHAs would be opportunities for those paratransit drivers who have adopted them, while they would be threats for those who have not. The collected data serve as useful inputs for future public transport planning in Asian developing cities.

Asian Developing City, Operational Characteristics, Ride-Hailing App, Paratransit, Phnom Penh

Phun, V.K., Masui, R. and Yai, T. (2018) Operational Characteristics of Paratransit Services with Ride-Hailing Apps in Asian Developing Cities: The Phnom Penh Case. Journal of Transportation Technologies, 8, 291-311. doi: 10.4236/jtts.2018.84016.