Individuals' demand for ride-hailing services: Investigating the combined effects of attitudinal factors, land use, and travel attributes on demand for app-based taxis in Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Despite the growing body of research on ride-hailing travel behaviors in Western countries, empirical evidence for changes in travel patterns resulting from the use of app-based services in developing countries remains rare. This study explores factors affecting an Iranian on-demand ride service called Snapp Taxi by using a comprehensive dataset collected from 22 municipality zones in metropolitan Tehran (N = 582). Our conceptual framework emphasizes the transportation mode choice effects of technology adoption, travel mode, ride-sourcing attributes, individual attitudes, land use measures, residential attributes, and socio-economic characteristics of the respondents. Results from Structural Equation Models (SEM) show that factors such as cost effectiveness, trip security, anti-shared mobility, and technology-oriented riders have a significant impact on travel mode choice and the frequency of ride-hailing trips. This study suggests that individuals who prefer driving and semi-public transit also have higher numbers of Snapp trips than other demographics. According to our findings, on-demand ride services could complement or compete with other modes of transport, especially in areas with limited access to public transit. However, the presence of ride-hailing services does not necessarily result in fewer car trips if the service operates as a private (single-party occupancy) vehicle and not as a shared mobility option.