A model for the adoption of transport management systems in the South African taxi industry

Background: From the Information Systems (IS) research perspective, the war between the e-hailing entrepreneurs and metered taxi operators in South Africa is a fight between technology innovators and laggards of the technology. The metered taxi operators are resisting to adopt e-hailing platforms and are fighting e-hailing entrepreneurs from using the technology. To find an amicable solution to the war, factors that affect the adoption of e-hailing platforms by metered taxi operators should be understood. Objectives: The objective of the study is to identify factors that influence the adoption of e-hailing platforms by metered taxi operators. Method: The technology acceptance model (TAM) was adopted and adapted as a lens to understand technology adoption by metered taxi operators. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey and 253 metered taxi entrepreneurs responded with usable data. The respondents were all from Sandton city, Gauteng Province of South Africa. Results: The study found significant and insignificant factors that influence metered taxi operators to adopt e-hailing platforms. It was found that perceived safety (PS) and perceived cost (PC) of adopting e-hailing platform were significant on attitude towards use of e-hailing platform (ATUeHP), and ATUeHP was significant on behavioural intention to use e-hailing platforms (BIUeHP). The BIUeHP was significant on the actual usage of e-hailing platform (AUeHP). However, Pearson’s r value was 0.113 for the perceived ease of use (PEOU) and ATUeHP, which is not statistically significant. With a Pearson’s r value of 0.053, perceived accessibility, perceived convenience (PCA) and ATUeHP are not statistically significant. Conclusion: Taxi entrepreneurs’ attitudes towards the adoption of e-hailing platforms are influenced by a number of factors, and these include cost, usability and safety as well as their perceptions of accessibility and convenience. Contribution: The findings of this study will thus be crucial to the South African taxi sector because they will serve as the foundation for the development of a new research framework. This theoretical framework acts as a guideline for the adoption of transport management systems in the South African taxi industry.