From Tuk-Tuk to Tap: The Adoption of Online Taxi Apps in Sri Lanka's Informal Public Transport Sector

Abstract

Informal public transport (IPT) is in high demand in many countries, but there appears to be a need for more technology adoption by such transport providers, particularly in developing countries. To this end, the current study aimed to uncover the factors influencing the adoption of ‘online taxi apps.’ The study was conducted in Sri Lanka, where IPT is still less regulated, and technology adoption is relatively poor. The current research primarily focuses on adopting online taxi apps from the taxi drivers’ perspective, generating a new area of literature. Primary data for the study were collected from 253 ‘three-wheeler’ taxi drivers in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. The findings reveal that ‘perceived ease of use,’ ‘perceived usefulness,' and 'perceived value' significantly impact adopting online taxi apps. However, ‘perceived privacy risk’ and ‘social influence’ do not seem to impact the adoption of online taxi apps. Thus, the insights gained through the study help encourage taxi drivers to adopt taxi apps for their taxi service, which would ultimately result in more professional and regulated service delivery