IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v11y2019i18p4944-d265918.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Taxi Downsizing: A New Approach to Efficiency and Sustainability in the Taxi Industry

Author

Listed:
  • Majid Zahiri

    (College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Rd, Hangzhou 310058, China)

  • Jielun Liu

    (Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore)

  • Xiqun (Michael) Chen

    (College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Rd, Hangzhou 310058, China)

Abstract

Taxis are considered one of the symbols of urban transportation systems due to their large daily traveling mileage. Taking into account hatchback cars with two rows of seats, this paper presents a new approach to taxi efficiency by decreasing the vehicle size. The policy’s influences on fuel consumption, emission, safety, and economic efficiency are comprehensively analyzed. With supplementary surveys of taxi passengers, a total of 1110 taxi trips are observed at nine busy locations. The results show that the trunk is not used in 88% of taxi trips in Hangzhou. It is estimated that downsizing each taxi results in annual decreases in fuel consumption by 1600 L, CO by 311.9 kg, HC by 15.4 kg, and NOx by 8.9 kg. By using a small car as a taxi instead of a standard car, the annual fixed cost plus the fuel cost will be reduced by 38%. By analyzing GPS data of 7081 taxis in Hangzhou, we found a network-wide average taxi speed of 23 km/h. Since the average speed of taxis is relatively low in urban areas, the use of small cars could provide drivers with higher maneuver capability, while increasing the safety of small cars. According to the findings of this paper, using small cars will increase the efficiency and sustainability of the taxi industry.

Suggested Citation

  • Majid Zahiri & Jielun Liu & Xiqun (Michael) Chen, 2019. "Taxi Downsizing: A New Approach to Efficiency and Sustainability in the Taxi Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-17, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:18:p:4944-:d:265918
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/18/4944/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/18/4944/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ana Louro & Nuno Marques da Costa & Eduarda Marques da Costa, 2019. "Sustainable Urban Mobility Policies as a Path to Healthy Cities—The Case Study of LMA, Portugal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-32, May.
    2. Loukas Balafoutas & Adrian Beck & Rudolf Kerschbamer & Matthias Sutter, 2013. "What Drives Taxi Drivers? A Field Experiment on Fraud in a Market for Credence Goods," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 80(3), pages 876-891.
    3. Cheah, Lynette & Heywood, John, 2011. "Meeting U.S. passenger vehicle fuel economy standards in 2016 and beyond," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 454-466, January.
    4. He, Kebin & Huo, Hong & Zhang, Qiang & He, Dongquan & An, Feng & Wang, Michael & Walsh, Michael P., 2005. "Oil consumption and CO2 emissions in China's road transport: current status, future trends, and policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(12), pages 1499-1507, August.
    5. Gao, H. Oliver & Kitirattragarn, Vincent, 2008. "Taxi owners' buying preferences of hybrid-electric vehicles and their implications for emissions in New York City," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 42(8), pages 1064-1073, October.
    6. Hai Yang & Yan Lau & Sze Wong & Hong Lo, 2000. "A macroscopic taxi model for passenger demand, taxi utilization and level of services," Transportation, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 317-340, June.
    7. Scott Cloutier & Alex Karner & Hanna L. Breetz & Parinaz Toufani & Nuri Onat & Sambhram Patel & Siddhanth Paralkar & Erica Berejnoi & Beth Ann Morrison & Jason Papenfuss & A. Davieau Briggs & Cynthia , 2017. "Measures of a Sustainable Commute as a Predictor of Happiness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-15, July.
    8. Martin, Philippe & Rogers, Carol Ann, 1995. "Industrial location and public infrastructure," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(3-4), pages 335-351, November.
    9. Chavez-Baeza, Carlos & Sheinbaum-Pardo, Claudia, 2014. "Sustainable passenger road transport scenarios to reduce fuel consumption, air pollutants and GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 624-634.
    10. An, Shi & Hu, Xiaowei & Wang, Jian, 2011. "Urban taxis and air pollution: a case study in Harbin, China," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 960-967.
    11. Hao, Han & Wang, Hewu & Ouyang, Minggao, 2011. "Fuel conservation and GHG (Greenhouse gas) emissions mitigation scenarios for China’s passenger vehicle fleet," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(11), pages 6520-6528.
    12. Noland, Robert B., 2005. "Fuel economy and traffic fatalities: multivariate analysis of international data," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(17), pages 2183-2190, November.
    13. Giuseppe Ioppolo & Stefano Cucurachi & Roberta Salomone & Giuseppe Saija & Lei Shi, 2016. "Sustainable Local Development and Environmental Governance: A Strategic Planning Experience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-16, February.
    14. Seoin Baek & Heetae Kim & Hyun Joon Chang, 2016. "A Feasibility Test on Adopting Electric Vehicles to Serve as Taxis in Daejeon Metropolitan City of South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-18, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Luis Rivera-González & David Bolonio & Luis F. Mazadiego & Sebastián Naranjo-Silva & Kenny Escobar-Segovia, 2020. "Long-Term Forecast of Energy and Fuels Demand Towards a Sustainable Road Transport Sector in Ecuador (2016–2035): A LEAP Model Application," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-26, January.
    2. An, Shi & Hu, Xiaowei & Wang, Jian, 2011. "Urban taxis and air pollution: a case study in Harbin, China," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 960-967.
    3. Garcia, Rita & Freire, Fausto, 2017. "A review of fleet-based life-cycle approaches focusing on energy and environmental impacts of vehicles," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 935-945.
    4. Wang, Sinan & Chen, Kangda & Zhao, Fuquan & Hao, Han, 2019. "Technology pathways for complying with Corporate Average Fuel Consumption regulations up to 2030: A case study of China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C), pages 257-277.
    5. Feiqi Liu & Fuquan Zhao & Zongwei Liu & Han Hao, 2018. "China’s Electric Vehicle Deployment: Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emission Impacts," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-19, November.
    6. Kangda Chen & Fuquan Zhao & Han Hao & Zongwei Liu & Xinglong Liu, 2021. "Hierarchical Optimization Decision-Making Method to Comply with China’s Fuel Consumption and New Energy Vehicle Credit Regulations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-25, July.
    7. Sierra, Jaime Cevallos, 2016. "Estimating road transport fuel consumption in Ecuador," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 359-368.
    8. Ingrid Ott & Susanne Soretz, 2006. "Governmental activity, integration, and agglomeration," Working Paper Series in Economics 57, University of Lüneburg, Institute of Economics.
    9. Feser, Daniel & Runst, Petrik, 2015. "Energy efficiency consultants as change agents? Examining the reasons for EECs’ limited success," ifh Working Papers 1 (2015), Volkswirtschaftliches Institut für Mittelstand und Handwerk an der Universität Göttingen (ifh).
    10. Vasco Leite & Sofia Castro & João Correia-da-Silva, 2009. "The core periphery model with asymmetric inter-regional and intra-regional trade costs," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 8(1), pages 37-44, April.
    11. Mujcic, Redzo & Frijters, Paul, 2013. "Still Not Allowed on the Bus: It Matters If You're Black or White!," IZA Discussion Papers 7300, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Qodri Febrilian Erahman & Nadhilah Reyseliani & Widodo Wahyu Purwanto & Mahmud Sudibandriyo, 2019. "Modeling Future Energy Demand and CO 2 Emissions of Passenger Cars in Indonesia at the Provincial Level," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-25, August.
    13. Colin Davis, 2013. "Regional integration and innovation offshoring with occupational choice and endogenous growth," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 108(1), pages 59-79, January.
    14. Ibrahim Ari & Muammer Koc, 2018. "Sustainable Financing for Sustainable Development: Understanding the Interrelations between Public Investment and Sovereign Debt," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-25, October.
    15. Kristian Behrens & Carl Gaigné, 2006. "Developing the "outermost regions" of Europe: some lessons from economic geography," Working Papers hal-02285630, HAL.
    16. Jianlei Lang & Shuiyuan Cheng & Ying Zhou & Beibei Zhao & Haiyan Wang & Shujing Zhang, 2013. "Energy and Environmental Implications of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 6(5), pages 1-23, May.
    17. Huo, Hong & Zhang, Qiang & He, Kebin & Yao, Zhiliang & Wang, Michael, 2012. "Vehicle-use intensity in China: Current status and future trend," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 6-16.
    18. Camelia Romocea-Turcu, 2008. "Regional disparities in industry location and income: a footloose capital model," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 28(2), pages 145-177, September.
    19. Ahlin, Christian & Kim, In Kyung & Kim, Kyoo il, 2021. "Who commits fraud? evidence from korean gas stations," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    20. Behrens, Kristian & Gaigne, Carl & Ottaviano, Gianmarco I.P. & Thisse, Jacques-Francois, 2007. "Countries, regions and trade: On the welfare impacts of economic integration," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(5), pages 1277-1301, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:18:p:4944-:d:265918. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.