POTENTIAL FOR FLEXICAB SERVICES: INNOVATIVE USES OF TAXIS AND JITNEYS FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Taxis and jitneys can be significant urban transportation resource. Used innovatively to provide public transit services, they can offer mobility in low density areas where mass transit is not feasible, supplement mass transit economically to improve the overall level of service, an promote ridership of regional rapid rail and commuter rail systems and express bus services to reduce the use of private vehicles. The term flexicab has been coined to refer to the range of demand-responsive and fixed-route services that can be offered as extensions of existing taxi/jitney operations. The taxi industry, with its experience in small vehicles, dispatching and flexible routing is particularly suited to flexicab operations. Opportunities for profit exist, particularly when several types of flexicab services are offered by the same operator, permitting him to make maximum use of his labor force and equipment. Three examples of multi-service flexicab systems are presented in the form of scenarios set in hypothetical urban areas (small, medium, and large). The examples include the calculation of revenues, operating costs, and net earnings. The report also reviews the present status of the taxi and jitney industry and makes policy and research recommendations. A bibliography and a list of contacts are included in appendixes.

• Corporate Authors:

  Interplan Corporation

  100 North Hope Avenue
  Santa Barbara, CA  United States 

  Transportation Systems Center

  55 Broadway, Kendall Square
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142
• Authors:
  • Remak, R
• Publication Date: 1975-12

Media Info

• Pagination: 155 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cities; Jitneys; Level of service; Market surveys; Medium sized cities; Mobility; Operating costs; Planning; Profits; Research; Revenues; Routes; Small cities; Systems engineering; Taxicabs; Urban areas; Urban transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Services
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00094040
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-TSC-OST-75-52 Final Rpt., DOT-TSC-OST-75-52
• Contract Numbers: DOT-TSC-748
• Files: NTIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 10 1981 12:00AM