An agent-based simulation model for analyzing the impact of asymmetric passenger demand on taxi service

In this study, a time-dependent agent-based taxi simulation model was developed. Modeling of taxi system is a complex task because it is dependent on the spatiotemporal pattern of passenger demand. However, the role of taxi as a public transport cannot be under-estimated in the urban area. Not only as a paratransit for the elder and disabled but also as a public transport for complementing the mass transit systems such as subways and arterial buses, a taxi conveys huge number of passengers every day. In this context, a practical modeling method for a taxi system was developed based on equilibrium philosophy and an agent-based simulation framework. In this study, the authors developed a simulation framework for the evaluation of taxi service for enhancing the quality of urban taxi transportation system. The developed model was tested with various passenger travel patterns, and a meaningful policy-related issue for improving the service performance of a taxi system was found for dealing with an asymmetric demand pattern.