Understanding inequality in ride-hailing service: an investigation of matching and pickup time

Abstract

Waiting Time (WT) stands as a pivotal indicator of the accessibility and equality of ride-hailing service. WT is broken down into two parts: the time taken to match passengers with drivers (matching time), and the time for drivers to pick up passengers (pickup time). Prior research merged the two components, leading to biased results. We aim to individually examine the factors influencing each component, considering demographic attributes of drivers and users, trip characteristics, traffic conditions, and neighborhood built environment (BEs). Using two-week ride-hailing orders collected in Shenzhen, our study reveals that: 1) Trip originating from or arriving at tourist attractions and airports exhibit a shorter matching time but an extended pickup time. 2) Female passengers face bias during the matching process, while female drivers tend to experience prolonged durations in both the matching and pickup phases. 3) Matching time is predominantly determined by trip characteristics, whereas pickup time is more influenced by the neighborhood BEs. 4) The impact of matching time on pickup duration varies across trips, influenced by factors such as passenger gender, idle distance, applied discounts, and additional dispatch fees.