Distinguished Transport Lecture Series 2024 – Shared Mobility

Bounded Rationality in Ridesourcing Drivers’ Dwelling at Transportation Terminals: 

A Behavioral Queueing Analysis

Prof. Yafeng Yin | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

This talk explores the boundedly rational behavior of ridesourcing drivers at transportation terminals through the lens of behavioral queueing theory. By incorporating concepts such as mental accounting and risk aversion, we develop a theoretical model of idle drivers’ queueing decisions and propose hypotheses to capture their bounded rationality. Using empirical data from Tianjin, China, we find that drivers are influenced by sunk costs through mental accounting, leading them to wait longer in queues. Moreover, drivers exhibit risk aversion in the context of time loss, showing a greater likelihood of leaving the queue when not sequentially matched, as opposed to being matched in a first-in-first-out order. These findings emphasize the importance of accounting for behavioral factors to enhance queue management and improve operational efficiency in ridesourcing systems.  

Organiser:  Institute of Transport Studies, The University of Hong Kong 

Date: 11 December 2024 (Wednesday) 

Time: 19:00 – 20:00 (Hong Kong Time) 

Venue: Rayson Huang Theatre, The University of Hong Kong 

FREE Admission 

Registration: HERE 

Enquiry: hkits@hku.hk