Comparison of Traditional and Emerging Paratransit Services in Indian Metropolises with Dissimilar Service Delivery Structures

Abstract

Paratransit modes provide a pro-poor transport option with lower pollution and congestion rates, especially in developing countries. The recent emergence of new Web 2.0 fueled paratransit services like dial-a-cab in Tier-I Indian cities over the last decade motivates this research. We specifically focus on capturing different service delivery structures in our analysis by collecting data from Mumbai (zone-restricted) and Kolkata (route-restricted). A revealed preference survey was constructed with the aim of collecting information about socio-demographic characteristics, attitudinal parameters, individual preferences, service delivery characteristics, and trip characteristics. Latent variables were constructed and used to develop Structural Equation Models (SEMs), a separate one for each type of service (traditional and emerging). Results show that the segments of population that are catered to by each service are distinctly different. The inferences pave the way for urban transport system policies to encourage paratransit, especially with regard to service delivery structure and regulations on price and safety.