Modeling and application of the competition and cooperation relationship between online ride-hailing and subways

Chunqin Zhang, Han Liu, Dini Pan, Liqun Zheng, Martin Skitmore, Paul Xia, Yong Liu, Wenbin Yao*, Guangnian Xiao

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The rapid growth of online ride-hailing (ORH) has sparked an ongoing academic debate about whether it replaces or complements public transit. This study contributes to this debate by examining the relationship between ORH and subway systems through the analysis of 880,000 ORH trajectory data provided by China's Didi Chuxing platform. By investigating the spatial relationship between ORH origin-destination (OD) points and subway stations, ORH trips are categorized into three modes: Subway-Competitive Trips (SCT), Subway-Extending Trips (SET), and Subway-Unserved Trips (SUT). The impact mechanisms of the built environment on these three modes and their spatial effects are then explored using a multiscale geographically weighted regression analysis. The findings reveal significant spatial heterogeneity in the relationships between the SUT, SCT, and SET modes and the built environment. Factors such as shopping services, scenic attractions, and bus stop density positively influence ORH trip volumes. Additionally, the SUT mode is more strongly impacted by residential and healthcare services, whereas the SCT mode is also influenced by accommodation services, leisure, entertainment, and corporate establishments. Accommodation services and corporate establishments have a strong influence on the SET mode as well. Moreover, the study suggests that ORH services tend to complement subways rather than directly compete with them.

Original languageEnglish
Article number106230
Pages (from-to)1-16
Number of pages16
JournalCities
Volume166
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2025

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