The vehicle for hire (VFH) market – broadly comprising taxis, limousines, and app-based transport – has faced multiple and significant changes over the years, with the period since 2010 a time of major upheaval. This book documents the development of the market over time, examining its regulation and control structures, exploring its history, trends, and market theories, and discussing how these are both promoted and challenged by the changes affecting the sector. This book reviews recent developments in the VFH industry, from the influx of new market entrants and the emergence of app-based services to their widespread use, comparing international markets and their regulation, and draws on a series of case studies in key locations in North America, Europe, and Asia. It establishes and details economic, market, social, and political theory affecting the VFH industry and devotes its second half to the definition and emergence of transport typologies and markets in which the sector has a role (or potential role). The book concludes, from a neutral standpoint, on the balance between market participants, addressing the immediate future facing the industry, including the impacts of Covid and other external factors. It considers the short- and long-term effects of market change, the role played by regulators, and the market conditions imposed upon them. Written for industry practitioners – both suppliers and regulators – as well as the academic community, this book will inform the community and prompt further analysis of a significant and growing field in transportation.

"TRB Special Report 319 analyzes the ways that innovative transportation services--including ridesharing, carsharing, bikesharing, and microtransit--are changing mobility for millions of travelers. Such services could reduce congestion and emissions from surface transportation if regulated wisely to encourage concurrent, instead of sequential, ridesharing. Rapidly growing transportation network companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft, however, are disrupting conventional taxi and limousine services and are raising policy challenges related to personal security and public safety, insurance requirements, employment and labor issues, and accessibility and equity. The committee's report offers guidance to state and local officials responsible for policy setting and regulation of for-hire transportation services in each of these areas. The report also addresses the need for greater consistency in regulations across jurisdictions and calls for TNCs to share more information about the volume, the frequency, and the types of trips they are providing, to allow for informed regulation and planning of transportation services"--provided by publisher.

Transportation Network Companies and Taxis: The Case of Seattle is a modern economic case history and thorough analysis of the devastating impact of the transportation network company (TNC) industry (Uber and Lyft) on the taxicab industry in Seattle, Washington, beginning in 2014. The events that transpired and lessons learned are applicable to most large cities in North America, Europe and Australia. As the regulator of the taxicab and TNC industries in Seattle during this period, the author offers a unique insider perspective. The book also provides internal operating statistics on the TNC industry, which are available here for the first time. Despite the spectacular growth of the TNC industry, growth rates have steadily declined and may fall to zero by 2019 or 2020, while the taxicab industry appears to have begun a modest recovery. This book offers a thorough explanation of how and why this decline has happened. It explains the taxicab industry, economic deregulation, competitive market failure, market disruption, price elasticity of demand and other concepts. There is also a wealth of data, computations and analysis for the specialized reader. This book considers the past, present and future of the taxicab and TNC industries in Seattle, It is recommended for both the general reader and industry professionals.

This book contains a collection of latest research developments on the urban transportation systems. It describes rail transit systems, subways, bus rapid transit (BRT) systems, taxicabs, automobiles, etc. This book also studies the technical parameters and provides a comprehensive overview of the significant characteristics for urban transportation systems, including energy management systems, wireless communication systems, operations and maintenance systems, transport serviceability, environmental problems and solutions, simulation, modelling, analysis, design, safety and risk, standards, traffic congestion, ride quality, air quality, noise and vibration, financial and economic aspects, pricing strategies, etc. This professional book as a credible source can be very applicable and useful for all professors, researchers, students, experienced technical professionals, practitioners and others interested in urban transportation systems.

In recent decades, network industries around the world have gone through periods of de- and re-regulation. With vast amounts of sometimes conflicting research carried out into specific network industries, the time has come for a critical over-arching assessment of this entire industry in order to provide a platform of understanding to aid future research and practice. This comprehensive resource provides an orientation for academics, policy makers and managers as to the main economic, regulatory and commercial challenges in the network industries. The book is split into sections covering market, policy, regulation, management perspectives, whilst all of the key network industries are covered, including energy, transport, water and telecommunications. Overseen by world-class Editors and experts in the field, this inter-disciplinary resource is essential reading for students and researchers in international business, industrial economics and the industries.

Given its geographical expanse, Canada has always faced long-term transport policy issues and challenges. Canadian Multi-Modal Transport Policy and Governance explains how and why Canadian transportation policy and related governance changed from the Pierre Trudeau era through the Chretien, Martin, Mulroney, Harper, and Justin Trudeau eras. With particular attention paid to the diversity and ongoing evolution of transportation policy since the 1960s, the broad distribution of regulatory authority across different levels of government, and the politicization of regulatory regimes and investment decisions since the 1970s, Doern, Coleman, and Prentice attempt to answer three critical questions: How and to what extent have policy and governance changed over the decades? Where has transport policy resided in federal policy agendas? And is Canada developing the policies, institutions, and capacities it needs to have a socio-economically viable and technologically advanced transportation system for the medium and long term? A sweeping history of transportation policy in Canada that fills a gap in the existing literature, Canadian Multi-Modal Transport Policy and Governance concludes that transportation has been subordinate to other federal goals and priorities, delaying and eroding transport systems into the twenty-first century.

This Handbook grapples conceptually and practically with what the sharing economy - which includes entities ranging from large for-profit firms like Airbnb, Uber, Lyft, Taskrabbit, and Upwork to smaller, non-profit collaborative initiatives - means for law, and how law, in turn, is shaping critical aspects of the sharing economy. Featuring a diverse set of contributors from many academic disciplines and countries, the book compiles the most important, up-to-date research on the regulation of the sharing economy. The first part surveys the nature of the sharing economy, explores the central challenge of balancing innovation and regulatory concerns, and examines the institutions confronting these regulatory challenges, and the second part turns to a series of specific regulatory domains, including labor and employment law, consumer protection, tax, and civil rights. This groundbreaking work should be read by anyone interested in the dynamic relationship between law and the sharing economy.

Transport Economics is a revised and refined fourth edition of a well-established textbook which applies economic analysis to transport issues. Each chapter has been carefully reworked and includes new material dealing with the regulation of transport markets. To assist in pedagogy, twenty or so free standing ‘Exhibits’ now provide a variety of case studies and narratives to supplement the text. More up-to-date examples and illustrations also make the understanding of economic principles easier and assist in the assimilation of economic concepts.

Organized crime, a hidden and pervasive threat, casts its dark shadow over societies globally, impacting countless lives through activities like human trafficking, illegal drug trade, and cybercrime. This intricate web of criminality leaves lasting scars on individuals, families, and entire communities, with its true cost remaining obscured. Amidst this dilemma, the question arises: how can the erosion of societal well-being be countered and a sense of security restored? Economic and Societal Impact of Organized Crime: Policy and Law Enforcement Interventions stands as a reservoir of knowledge offering profound insights into combatting organized criminal endeavors. Edited by renowned scholar Alicia Danielsson, an expert in Comparative and EU law, this interdisciplinary collection delves beneath the surface of organized crime. Drawing on contributions from diverse fields, the book unravels real-world stories, empirical evidence, and case studies, shedding light on the psychological, physical, and economic toll exacted by these activities. Moreover, it explores the wider societal consequences, including eroding trust in institutions and exacerbating inequality and poverty. This work serves as an intellectual haven for academics, providing a roadmap to comprehending and confronting this global threat. It navigates the intricate pathways of criminal networks, corrupt actors, and the responses of law enforcement and policymakers. By championing an evidence-based approach that prioritizes human well-being and community resilience, the book equips readers to grasp the intricacies of the challenge and contribute to a world where organized crime's grip is loosened, and the foundations of security and justice are reinforced.