Study on carpooling applications: the development of sharing economy in the age of internet

Abstract

Globalisation and the development of technology lead to the emergence of different economic practices. Among these, sharing economy receives considerable attention, as people communicate with each other and propose themselves plausible offers, which make both parties better off. Moreover, recent findings suggest that especially young generations start to use carpooling applications when they want to travel from one destination to the other. However, the activity of carpooling has not been sufficiently taken into consideration in the context of scientific inquiry. This paper intends to investigate the impact of carpooling activity as a form of sharing economy. After providing an introduction about the concept of sharing economy, the study will discuss the importance of technological advancements for the development of carpooling activity. Finally, the manuscript will suggest a model in which total revenues, quality of life of passengers and drivers and technological progress will be considered in order to measure the impact of carpooling activity. In conclusion, the paper will show that carpooling activity is beneficial not only for the financial well-being of individuals who take part in, but it also increases the overall satisfaction of travellers. Copyright © 2020 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.