Dial-a-Ride Problem with Meeting Point Feature Known-as Express-Pool

Abstract

This study extends a dial-a-ride problem by considering (1) Express-Pool and (2) Friend-Only. Uber provides an advanced feature called Express-Pool where passengers are willing to walk a short distance to be picked up and be dropped off somewhere close to destination in exchange for a reduced fare. Tesla's 2020 Robotaxi plan includes that vehicle owners will be able to determine if their vehicles can be shared with friends and co-workers only. For this evolving transportation problem, the contributions of this paper are threefold. First, we define DARP with Express-Pool and Friend-Only. Second, a novel constraint programming approach is proposed. Third, a two-phase approach based on warm-start method is devised to improve the performance of the base model.