An Analysis of Utilization Patterns of the Disabled Call Taxis Among Individuals with Physical and Brain Lesion Disorder: Focusing on Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi-do

This study analyzes the usage behavior of disabled call taxis among individuals with physical and brain lesion disorders residing in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, and investigates the potential utilization of autonomous vehicle special transportation services. Autonomous vehicles, which can perceive and control their environment without human intervention, are expected to provide numerous benefits, such as reducing traffic accidents and alleviating congestion. The analysis of responses from a total of 354 participants revealed that the majority of users primarily utilize the service during the morning hours, with the highest average monthly usage frequency reported as '9 to 15 times' (40.7%). Furthermore, 82.5% of respondents expressed their willingness to use autonomous vehicle special transportation services; however, concerns about safety emerged as a significant barrier to use. The presence of an operator generated a positive response, suggesting the potential for service integration between disabled call taxis and autonomous vehicles. The findings of this study will serve as a foundational resource for providing mobility support services during the living lab phase and highlight the necessity to consider the mobility environment of wheelchair users when selecting Virtual Stop locations for autonomous vehicles in the future.