Singleride

Singleride is a term used in urban mobility discussions to describe a transportation trip undertaken by a single passenger. It is contrasted with shared-ride arrangements such as carpooling or ride-pooling, and it is sometimes used to label services that promise exclusive vehicle use for an individual trip. The definition is not fixed and the term may appear in different contexts to emphasize single-occupancy travel, privacy, convenience, or efficiency analyses.

In transportation planning, singleride metrics examine the costs, energy use, and space required per passenger when travel is not shared. In commercial ride-hailing markets, some apps offer a "single-ride" option that steps away from pooling by assigning a dedicated vehicle to one rider for the duration of the trip, often with different pricing and wait times compared to shared options. The term is also used in discussions about the environmental and social implications of single-occupancy mobility, including considerations of traffic, emissions, equity, and accessibility.

Critics argue that singleride can lead to higher energy use and longer wait times unless offset by efficiency gains, such as autonomous routing, improved vehicle occupancy forecasting, or dynamic pricing. Proponents contend that single-ride services may be necessary to address safety, privacy, or reliability concerns and can complement shared mobility.

See also: carpool, ride-hailing, ride-sharing, single-occupancy vehicle, urban mobility.