Cost Saving Effect and Resident Satisfaction of Community Bus Replacement Service Provided by Taxi

Abstract

The operation of “Community bus” and “Demand Responsive Transport (DRT)”by municipalities are widely spread in Japan. However, the number of users was small and the financial burden of municipalities increased. Establishment of a new feasible method for local public transportation service which can deal with these problems is required. In this study, we examined the possibility of using taxis as new public transportation and report a social experiment in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As a result of replacement the bus service to taxis, the municipal expense for operating taxis could be decreased by 85% compared to bus service. Many residents in the operating area were satisfied with the service provided by taxis. The heavy users are women in their 70s and 80s, and they are using for hospital visits and shopping. Non-users are driving their cars by themselves, so they do not feel the necessity at present.