Shared taxis: modelling the choice of a paratransit mode in Santiago de Chile

The shared taxi is a special public transport mode, typical of Chilean cities. It operates with cars offering a maximum capacity of four seats, a predefined coverage area and a route that is fixed in principle, but can be adapted to meet passengers’ needs. During a normal day in Santiago, almost 700,000 trips use shared taxis during one of their stages. This represents about 4% of the total trips made in the city, and this modal share increases in zones and periods with low Metro and bus coverage. This study is a first attempt at studying shared taxis as a relevant transport alternative, analysing its main attributes and modelling its demand. With this purpose, after an analysis of the network and its operation, a revealed preference survey (including perceptual indicators) was applied to public transport users in Santiago who had shared taxi as a feasible alternative. Results show a positive evaluation of the mode’s unique attributes, such as the possibility of travelling seated, reducing transfers and alighting at a convenient destination. The subjective valuation of the attributes derived from the models confirm the strong penalty assigned by Chilean users to alternatives implying transfers or increased walking times. The analysis also shows that studying the characteristics of shared taxi users is relevant in a discussion about its regulation and modernization, considering that, while it is desirable to preserve its positive attributes, this should be done in a context of efficient integration with the rest of the transport system.