Not my usual trip: Ride-hailing characterization in Mexico City

Abstract

The literature on ride-hailing has experienced rapid growth in recent years, with an accent on industrialized cities, mainly in the United States and Europe. Previous research has identified the characteristics and preferences of ride-hailing adopters in a handful of cities. However, given their marked geographical focus, whether such findings are relevant and applicable to the practice of transport planning and regulation in cities in the Global South remains largely untested.This paper examines ride-hailing in the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City. We build on statistical modelling informed by the Mexico’s household travel survey from 2017 to determine the main drivers for ride-hailing adoption, unpack ride-hailing user characteristics, and understand how they differ from other transport users in the local context. We use findings to discuss the implications of ride-hailing for urban mobility in one of the largest cities in Latin America.Recognizing that the trajectory of adoption and development of app-based urban transport services differs from those followed in the United States and Europe, the paper hypothesizes that ride-hailing usage in a context such as Mexico may be mediated by social issues such as the perception of crime, risk of sexual harassment in public transportation, and lack of flexibility and quality in other modes. Such challenges are frequently experienced by women in this and similar contexts as documented by the literature.Our findings shed light on the complex role of gender and care relationships play in the adoption of on-demand transportation services. Relevant findings suggests that variables such as age, education and income have a positive effect on ride-hailing adoption, in line with the existing literature. Also in line with current literature, we find that ride-hailing in Mexico City is instrumental for leisure and health trips. However, when considering gender, and the links between gender and care responsibilities, findings show that women in households with a higher number of elders depend more on on-demand transport. These results are novel in the context of the ride-hailing literature and suggest areas for further exploration in similar contexts to inform discussions about the role of these travel alternatives for women and their ability to navigate the city.