Willingness to become a ride-sourcing driver: results of an error components model

• Investigated individuals’ willingness to participate in ride-sourcing as a driver. • Explored the intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting individuals’ driving participation. • Applied an error component model representing the choice heterogeneities varied by job change and car purchase. • Offered insights into participation variations in full-time, part-time, and/or driving beyond working hours. • Provided policy suggestions for improving driver recruitment and ride-sourcing sustainability. Research on individuals’ participation in being a driver for ride-sourcing companies is rare and this decision has not been fully understood. This study uses stated choice experiment data collected in China through face-to-face interviews to explore the effects of job conditions, car ownership and socio-demographics on individuals’ decisions to become a driver for ride-sourcing companies. The results show that car owners and those who work in the tertiary industry have a higher interest in driving for a ride-sourcing company beyond regular working hours, but less interest in becoming a full-time driver. Social insurance is an important trigger of participation for individuals without a stable job. Middle-aged people have an interest in driving and prefer full-time driving over part-time driving or driving after work. These findings provide useful insights for improving driver recruitment and ride-sourcing sustainability.