Learning from the real practices of users of a smart carpooling app

Abstract

Aim: This paper explores the real practices of users of a smart carpooling application that learns their mobility habits and predicts their future trips to propose relevant matches. Method: A combination of usage data and interviews analysis allows us to explore the commuter experience from registration to the first and the next shared rides. Findings: The results highlight the shortcomings associated with human factors in carpooling and with human-smart system interactions. They show that perceptions of practical constraints and poor counterparts are the major reasons for difficulty in incorporating carpooling into daily mobility. Psychosocial barriers take different forms at different steps of the carpooling experience (search for information or guarantees about other users, the necessity of conversing with others, much uncertainty about how to behave). The fact that the service is smart amplifies these problems and reduces the desire to carpool again because it creates new misunderstandings (i.e., the user does not understand what the system vs. the other users do) and discomfort in relation to other riders (no answer, too many refusals, necessity of refusing, negative carpool experience, or concern over proposing a bad carpool). Despite these difficulties, the users perceive carpooling as a good solution and a positive human experience when the matching is accurate. We propose some recommendations to overcome the identified difficulties.