Sustainability of Electronic Three-Wheel Ride‑Hailing Services: A Case Study in Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

Ride-hailing, combined with paratransit or electric vehicles, is emerging in developing Asian countries. This study considered case studies of the electric three-wheel (tuk-tuk) ride-hailing service in Bangkok, Thailand and examined its impact on urban sustainability. We analyzed the actual trip data of electric three-wheel ride-hailing provided by the operator and examined transportation efficiency by determining the indicator ratio to complement trains and buses, vehicle-kilometers traveled (VKT), passenger trip distance, and deadheading percentage as 43.8%, 3.60 km, 1.79 km, and 50.4%, respectively. Compared with the estimated route via the most-substituted mode (motorcycle taxi), if a passenger changes the travel mode from motorcycle taxi to electric three-wheel ride-hailing, VKT increases, and deadheading ratio decreases by approximately 2.5% and 8.5%, respectively. The ratio of complementarity of trains and buses, VKT, and deadheading percentage differ with the area; these differences are likely attributed to the land use, size of operation area, station density, and road.