Emergence of Carpooling

Carpooling services that allow users to access transportation modes on an as-needed basis have seen tremendous growth in recent years. Services like ride-hailing, car-sharing, bike-sharing and scooter-sharing are becoming common in urban centers globally. This new model of transportation enables users to have on-demand access to different vehicle types without the high costs and responsibilities of private vehicle ownership. The carpooling market has benefited from advances in location technology, payment systems, and connectivity. Mobile apps have made it convenient for users to locate, pay for, and access shared vehicles with just a few taps on their smartphones.

Ride-hailing leads the way

Ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft dominate the carpooling landscape, having disrupted the traditional taxi industry in many cities. Their availability via mobile apps and ease of payment made taxi-hailing frictionless. Ride-hailing also allowed drivers to utilize their personal vehicles and set flexible working hours. Global Shared Mobility contributed to rapid growth and high driver sign-ups. By 2019, ride-hailing trips surpassed taxi trips in major cities of the United States. However, ride-hailing services also face challenges of ensuring adequate driver pay and benefits. Some cities have instituted minimum pay and benefit rules for ride-hailing drivers.

Emergence of micromobility

In recent years, micromobility modes like electric bikes, scooters, and mopeds have proliferated in many cities. Docked and dockless bike-sharing systems allowed point-to-point trips across cities. However, dockless electric scooters deployed by startups saw unprecedented growth thanks to their ease of use and ability to park anywhere. Within a short span, scooter-sharing grew to serve over 100 cities globally. While micromobility solved the problem of short trips, their abrupt rise also led to issues like improper parking and road safety concerns. As a result, cities are now regulating micromobility services and infrastructure better to maximize benefits and minimize problems.

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