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Optimal crew allocation and scheduling is an important issue in the management of a large fleet of taxis. Presents a modelling study of a taxi service operation in a Singapore public transport company, with the results adaptable for other similar operations. Proposes two quantitative techniques: the queueing analysis approach and the integer programming approach: These can be used to allocate and schedule the taxi fleet to cover the demand for services at various time periods and geographical zones for the entire country. Presents a routeing and scheduling management information system to support the scheduler in making routeing and scheduling decisions.

This paper aims to identify the dimensions of service quality in the case of ride-sourcing services in Indian context.

The service quality dimensions of ride-sourcing services are identified using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Further, the reliability and validity of the factors are established through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using AMOS.

The service quality dimensions of ride-sourcing services are identified: comfort, internal environment, safety and personnel, mobile convenience and reliability, mobile system efficiency and availability, mobile customer service and billing and mobile security and privacy.

The various dimensions are identified to measure service quality of ride-sourcing services in India. So, these dimensions can be tested for ride-sourcing services of countries having similar culture as India.

The proposed dimensions can be used as a diagnostic tool to identify and compare important criteria for service quality of ride-sourcing services.

Most relevant studies about dimensions of service quality for ride-sourcing services do not have stable factor structure. The dimensions identified include the traditional taxi service quality and mobile app service quality, which are not covered in current literature.

To explore how the rise of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) may affect paratransit.

A review of published material and interviews with paratransit managers.

TNCs, typified by Uber and Lyft, are having a significant impact on the taxi industry, which is affecting some US paratransit programs for people with disabilities because it limits the ability of those programs to partner with taxis for a portion of their service. However, some programs have avoided these negative impacts by contracting with taxi companies in a way that provides guaranteed work for some number of drivers.

Paratransit programs might be able to partner with TNCs much as they do now with taxis. However, a number of significant issues would have to be addressed including the lack of any way to schedule a trip in advance, little or no monitoring or dispatching assistance provided to drivers at the time of service, insurance coverage that does not meet typical public agency requirements for contracts, limited screening of drivers or inspection of vehicles, lack of specialized driver training, lack of any provision to negotiate rates, and lack of wheelchair accessible vehicles.

US civil rights legislation applies to TNCs and requires them to serve individuals with disabilities who can use the service; assist with the stowing of mobility devices; not charge higher fares or fees for people with disabilities; and allow service animals.

The value is to help paratransit programs and policy makers adapt to changes in the market for transportation services brought on by technology.

Attracting commuters from driving to light rail systems has a good potential for reducing carbon emissions. However, the light rail system is interrupted by disruptions frequently, which reduces its attraction to passengers. Therefore, how to provide a quick replacement service during disruptions is of vital importance to avoid passengers change to other higher emission vehicles. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the decision analysis of the replacement tool for disruption recovery service in urban public light rail systems from the perspective of environmental effect.

The traditional approach – bus replacement service – and the new approach – taxi replacement service – which has been recently adopted by several cities, are examined individually and compared. The benefit of the light rail company is formulated by balancing between carbon emission and financial cost. The involving parties’ decision functions taking the passengers’ behaviors as well as numerous other important factors into account are formulated.

Both theoretical and numerical sensitivity analyses are conducted to shed light for light rail systems to better coping with disruptions, increasing service level, and attracting more passengers to the environmental transit system to reduce carbon emission.

It is worth mentioning that this research is a successful application for disruption recovery in a public transit system considering the environmental effect. To the authors’ knowledge, this research is one of the first of such applications in this area and can be used not only in the public light rail systems, but also in other urban public transport network components such as the subway and rail systems.

Mobile taxi booking apps (MTB) have revolutionalized the transportation industry. As taxis can be hired via smartphones, irrespective of any time or place, the business platform for taxi service has completely changed. Now customers are saved from the hassle of going to the designated taxi stands or waiting along the roadside. But, the long-term sustainability of this service depends on its continued use. Therefore, this study aims to explore factors that hedonically incline people toward continuance of MTB. To achieve the purpose, the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) was extended with mediation effects of hedonic motivation.

The data were collected from existing users of MTB and analyzed through structural equation modeling and revalidated via artificial neural networks.

The statistical results show that the main factors of UTAUT substantially create hedonic motivation to use the apps and significantly mediate their effects on behavioral intention to continue using MTB. However, mediation between social influence and continuity intent was not statistically supported. The findings represent important contributions to the extended UTAUT.

This study adds value to the theoretical horizon and also presents M-taxi companies with useful and pertinent plans for efficient designing and effective implementation of MTB. Moreover, limitations and suggestions for future researchers are also discussed.

This study extends UTAUT with the mediating role of hedonic motivation to predict continued use of MTB, which further initiates the applicability of UTAUT in a new setting and a new perspective (post adoption). This, in turn, significantly expands theory by using hedonic motivation as an important attribute that could mediate impact of all main antecedents to shape customers loyalty toward system use.

This case describes the events following an incident of a rape in a taxi associated with Uber, by its driver. Uber was an application based taxi operator. The events raised several issues for government systems and processes, such as need for regulation of new formats of business like application based taxi services, integrated databases, checks against forgery and holistic approach towards women safety. The case also brings out how an e-commerce business raises regulatory concerns.

This study aims to analyze the processes of introducing apps (Easy Taxi and Uber) in the work routine of taxi and private drivers, exploring their work relations and identifying new forms of relationship between them and their passengers. The authors expose the complexity in which such processes occur in a dialogical way, aligning poststructuralist notions of actor–network theory with theorizations on subjectivity production.

The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 drivers of Easy Taxi and Uber apps in three Brazilian capitals.

Apps came to play a central role in the work practice of the drivers interviewed. The authors suggest that they offer more security, convenience, accessibility and agility, going beyond dependent forms of working and living, in overlapping networks and connections, enacting entities that guide workers and users to an increasingly programmed way of life.

New forms of thinking managerial relations with taxi and private drivers work and their work relations with other drivers and passengers.

This kind of technology not only generates new social relations but also activates mechanisms of subjectivation that reverberate new forms of relating, working and living in contemporaneity.

Approaches on subjectivity regarding the adoption of technology in the practice of work in the contemporaneity, with the emergence of new working relations mediated by e-hailing technology.

This chapter provides an overview of the policies that taxi and ridesourcing regulators in the USA and around the world have adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the recovery from it, including regulatory actions and measures to protect driver and passenger safety and health, as well as various efforts intended to provide economic relief and assistance. This chapter raises the issue of guidance versus regulatory mandates by transportation officials, and what issues need to be further researched and evaluated for permanent implementation and/or to prepare for any resurgence of this or other pandemics.

Competing in Emerging Markets; Internationalization of Service Firms; Global Marketing.

Senior undergraduate or graduate students in business schools.

Uber first entered the South Korean taxi hailing service in Seoul in September 2013. In March 2015, the company shut down its operations after being charged for operating an illegal service. However, in January 2016, Uber decided to re-launch Uber’s premium service, UberBLACK after working with the city government. Given the country’s unique characteristics, was the decision to re-enter the market justifiable? Would Uber’s new strategies including partnering with a local company be sufficient? How could Uber gain more market share against its local powerful competitors?

Outcomes This case allows students to understand the challenges of internationalizing services of a global company in an emerging market that has strong national cultures and domestic preferences. The students will learn how to analyze the country and industry external environment as well as internal resources and capabilities to formulate the appropriate market entry strategies and to effectively implement them. The students will also learn the critical role of host country government and how to manage its relationship, the first- and second-mover advantages/disadvantages and the sustainability of innovative business models.

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CSS 11: Strategy