The influence of ride-hailing on travel frequency and mode choice

Using data derived from 597 face-to-face interviews with ride-hailing users in Chengdu (China), we examined the influence of ride-hailing on travel frequency and mode choice and further analyzed what the main determinants for these are. The results indicate that 16.8% of the respondents increase their frequency of trips because of the adoption of ride-hailing services, suggesting a complementary effect of ride-hailing on travel. Meanwhile, the use of traditional travel modes is considerably substituted by ride-hailing services. Particularly, around half of the respondents indicated a substitution of ride-hailing for sustainable modes (i.e., public transit, cycling, and walking), which may thus generate environmental problems (e.g., increasing greenhouse gas emissions). Additionally, regression outcomes show that higher accessibility to bus stations is negatively correlated with the shift from sustainable modes to ride-hailing. Therefore, optimizing the access to bus facilities may be effective to cope with potential transportation problems posed by ride-hailing.