Work

To wait or to cruise: The trade-off between waiting time and detours for service efficiency in ride-pooling systems

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Demand-responsive transport (DRT) in the form of ride-pooling has gained momentum thanks to its flexibility and convenience. To pool rides, detours may occur, and this usually leads to extra waiting times and ride durations for passengers. While many studies in the literature focus on improving vehicle scheduling, it remains interesting to see how the extra time passengers spend in traveling impacts the efficiency of a DRT system. In this study, we address this question by conducting experiments within an agent-based transport simulation framework using various real-world scenarios. Results suggest that increasing permissible waiting time is more effective in reducing the required fleet size and, consequently, the costs, compared to allowing a longer permissible ride duration. On the other hand, while increasing permissible ride duration at the expense of permissible waiting time increases the vehicle occupancy during peak hours, this does not necessarily correspond to a more efficient service.

Source: Case Studies on Transport Policy

DOI: 10.1016/j.cstp.2025.101499

Authors: Chengqi Lu, Nico Kühnel

Institution: Technische Universität Berlin

Language: English

Topic: Transportation and Mobility Innovations

Subfield: Automotive Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $1,950