Regulating shared mobility services of transportation network companies : from efficiency to equity

Abstract

This thesis aims to assess the impacts of TNCs and shared mobility on transport efficiency and equity, and investigate regulatory policies on TNCs to mitigate the negative effects of shared mobility services. In particular, the thesis encompasses three studies to explore regulatory frameworks for three typical shared mobility services of TNCs from efficiency emphasis to equity concerns. The first part of the thesis centers on the efficiency of ride-sourcing services and proposes a novel business model that integrates ride-sourcing services with shared parking to address the congestion externality of TNCs. Various congestion-limiting regulations are designed to work synergistically with the proposed business model and their policy implications are investigated. The second part of the thesis shifts to the equity aspect of AV-enabled ride-hailing services of TNCs, assesses the impacts of AV deployment on transport equity at both spatial and social dimensions over a transportation network, and designs two regulatory policies that promote an equitable multimodal transportation network: (a) a minimum service-level requirement, and (b) a subsidy on transit services. The third project addresses the equity concerns of shared micromobility services of TNCs, characterizes how the micromobility-transit interaction impacts spatial equity over a transportation network, and delivers a comprehensive comparison of different equity-improving policy directions: (a) a vehicle density floor, (b) a subsidy on bundled trips, and (c) a transit-micromobility collaboration. Overall, this thesis delivers a comprehensive study of regulatory frameworks on TNCs and shared mobility services to foster an efficient and equitable mobility ecosystem. It contributes to the in-depth understanding of the following questions: (a) how shared mobility interacts with other transport modes over transportation networks, (b) how such interactions impact transport efficiency and equity, and (c) how to strategically design regulatory policies to mitigate the negative impacts of TNCs and shared mobility. The results of the thesis provide managerial guidance and policy insights for TNCs and relevant transportation authorities.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Supervisor	Sen LI (Supervisor)