A stated choice experiment to estimate preference for fully automated taxis: comparison between immersive virtual reality and online surveys

Abstract

It has been shown that people with disabilities perceive certain travel attributes differently, affecting their behaviour. It is relevant to understand the behaviour of people with disabilities to support public policies that address their needs. The objective of this research is to identify the factors that affect the mobility decisions of blind or visually impaired people, taking Santiago de Chile as a case study. With information from a total of 1,322 trips in Santiago made by people with and without disabilities, hybrid models of modal choice were estimated, including two latent variables: human interactions and use of technology. People who use more technology prefer ride hailing. Modes with direct contact with the driver are perceived more positively by people who assign importance to human interactions. Additionally, there is a significant difference in the perception of walking time. Walking time affects approximately 30% more blind or visually impaired people than people without visual impairment. Based on the results, there is proof of the relevance of having public policies that ensure subsidized taxi trips for people with visual disabilities or people with reduced mobility.