Differentiated models in the collaborative transport economy: a mixture analysis for Blablacar and Uber

Abstract

The collaborative economy has become one of the fastest-growing areas since the great recession of 2008, with passenger transport activities being of particular importance. Based on on-demand ride services, in which passengers are connected with community drivers through a smartphone app, these collaborative transport activities are not all of a homogeneous nature, and need to be differentiated according to the type of service provided to understand the socioeconomic and environmental characteristics that determine their widespread use. The objective of this paper is to analyze the determinants of use of the two main online platforms for transport in Europe: Blablacar (ride-sharing) and Uber (ride-hailing), representing two different business models for shared mobility. Our contribution is an empirical analysis emphasizing the role of digital skills and employing a mixture analysis technique that permits the distinction between these two platforms models. Our results show that beyond their strong linkage to the digital environment, the determinants of using both platforms differ. In the case of Blablacar, the results show a closed user profile influenced by age, educational level, live as a couple or urban environment. However, the user profile for Uber is open and more diffuse, with a preference for female population.