Spatial Pattern and Driving Mechanism of Urban Taxi Fares in China

Taxi fare is related to the daily life of residents. Reasonable taxi fare not only meets the travel demand of residents but also improves the income of drivers and promotes employment. The spatial variation of taxi fares exists between different regions and cities. Previous studies on taxi fares have been conducted mostly in individual cities, and there has been no study on the spatial differentiation pattern of taxi fares on a national scale. Taking 336 cities across China as the research object, a multiple linear regression model of taxi fares was established by demonstrating the spatial variation pattern of taxi fares, the global differentiation index, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and kernel density analysis, etc. The significance of the study is to explore the law of spatial differentiation of taxi fares in China and to provide a stenographic record of taxi fare adjustment. The results show that: (1) the spatial variation of taxi fares across the country is significant, with the starting taxi fare range being between RMB 4 and RMB 14. (2) The global differentiation index of taxi fares is large, with two low-low clusters and three high-high clusters appearing spatially, and the results of the kernel density analysis surface a dispersion distribution centered on provincial capitals. (3) The divergence pattern of taxis nationwide is influenced by several factors. A multiple linear regression model is selected to establish a multiple linear regression model of urban disposable income per capita, regional GDP, urbanization rate, and urban population density, which shows that urban disposable income per capita has the greatest influence on taxi fares. The model shows that urban disposable income per capita has the greatest influence on taxi fares, and the fare of a 5 km taxi ride is 6.07. Taxi fares have a clear pattern of spatial differentiation in China and are most affected by urban disposable income per capita. Through this study, we can gain a deeper understanding of the variation in taxi fares across the country and provide data and theoretical support for the rationality of taxi fare adjustments.