Taxicabs and Microtransit

Taxicabs are a long-standing and critical travel mode in cities throughout the world. Taxicabs offer point-to-point service that can complement other travel modes. Microtransit is a newer adaptation of informal transit or jitney systems that aim to improve public transit service by making services demand-responsive to individual travelers by private and public firms. The growth of smart phones has dramatically restructured these services over the past decade, and while there have been promising developments that will likely affect urban transport in the years ahead, the market for new taxi and microtransit services is not yet clear. Planning and policies for taxicabs are wide ranging. Though taxicabs are a minor mode by usage, taxi services play an important complementary role to transit and other alternatives to auto ownership.