GLOBAL CONSUMER RIDE SHARING SPEND TO EXCEED US$930 BILLION BY 2026 - JUNIPER RESEARCH

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 13 (Bernama) -- A new study by Juniper Research has found ride sharing spending by consumers globally will exceed US$930 billion, come 2026, comparable to 50 times the combined annual revenue of Transport for London, New York City’s MTA, and Beijing Metro in 2021. (US$1 = RM4.210)

This spend represents an increase from US$147 billion in 2021 and total growth of 537 per cent over the next five years, according to a statement.

The concept of ride sharing involves users accessing single-occupancy and shared carpool-style services provided by private drivers operating their own vehicles; coordinated by platforms such as Lyft and Uber.

The research identified consumers in the US and China as leading global spend on ride sharing services; accounting for 65 per cent of market value in 2026. It highlighted future government initiatives to reduce private vehicle usage in cities, allied with a strong pandemic recovery, as key to these countries’ positions as leaders.

However, the new report, Ride Sharing: Value Chain Analysis, Market Size & Forecasts 2012-2026, cautioned that only 13 per cent of consumers are set to use carpool-style ride sharing services in 2026, with the remainder opting for single-occupancy services; reflecting that the majority of consumers are willing to pay a premium for the privilege of travelling alone.

It noted while this is understandable given the ongoing pandemic, the emissions generated by single-occupancy services mean platforms must explore non-financial incentives to drive adoption of carpool services. This could include collaborating with city authorities to allow carpool vehicles to use public transport-only lanes, to make these services attractive in terms of both cost and efficiency.

Research author Adam Wears explained: “There are multiple strategies ride sharing platforms must leverage to drive adoption of carpool services, but these will need to be implemented carefully to avoid the perception of prioritising carpool users over non-carpool ones.”

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector; providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

-- BERNAMA