Impacts of (Autonomous) Ride‐Hailing Services for Children's Independent Mobility
A Review
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21788090 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Johanna Reinhardt (0000-0003-4694-5096, The University of Melbourne, corresponding author), Ash Alam (The University of Melbourne), Crystal Legacy (0000-0002-8687-7297, The University of Melbourne) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Geography Compass (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1749-8198 • E-ISSN: 1749-8198 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/gec3.70061 |
| OpenAlex | W7123543136 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 60 |
This paper advances understandings of how (autonomous) ride‐hailing services, widely described as app‐based, prearranged, and on‐demand transportation, affect children's independent mobility (CIM). Examining CIM is crucial, as ride‐hailing services have recently expanded to include unaccompanied minors (aged 13–17) in several countries worldwide, and the first driverless service for children is currently being tested in the United States. While these services offer perceived benefits, such as increased independence for children and reduced parental time and supervision, they also raise practical concerns. These include child safety, potential reductions in active lifestyles, and implications for children's agency. Together, these issues reveal a significant knowledge gap in CIM literature regarding the changing mobility conditions introduced by (autonomous) ride‐hailing. We respond to this gap by conducting a review of scholarly papers published in English between 2017 and 2024. Our analysis of the studies examining the introduction of (autonomous) ride‐hailing services and their impact on children's mobilities highlights the necessity for novel perspectives on CIM in contemporary cities. The review offers insights into societal perceptions of emerging transport technologies and identifies barriers to young people's agency in mobility decision‐making. The findings advance critical understandings of childhood within the context of platform‐enabled, automated, and everyday automobilities
Perception · Human-Automation Interaction and Safety · Transportation and Mobility Innovations · Urban Transport and Accessibility
Associations of children's independent mobility and active travel with physical activity, sedentary behaviour and weight status
Theme development in qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis
U.S. School Travel, 2009
User preferences regarding autonomous vehicles
Literature review as a research methodology
Content analysis and thematic analysis
Children's autonomous mobility and their well-being
Valuing “Othered” Rationalities in the Smart City
Association between the built environment and children's independent mobility
The Impact of B andung C ity's Rapid Development on children's Independent Mobility and Access to Friendly Play Environments
Why People Are Not Willing to Let Their Children Ride in Driverless School Buses
Child Independent Mobility in South Africa
Childhood in the Suburbs and the Australian Dream
The Surveillance of Children's Mobility
Australian children's independent mobility levels
Children's interdependent mobility
The influence of psychosocial and environmental factors on children's independent mobility and relationship to peer frequentation
Transport and mobility justice
We know something someone doesn’t know”
Citizen engagement on local government Facebook pages
Conducting qualitative content analysis in urban planning research and urban studies
Reconceptualising Children's Agency as Continuum and Interdependence
Is Children's Independent Mobility Really Independent? A Study of Children's Mobility Combining Ethnography and GPS/Mobile Phone Technologies1
We Can All Just Get on a Bus and Go
Reframing the Dualistic Nature of Ride-Hailing for Women
| Highly cited | No |
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