Initiating barrier-free ride services for disabled passengers: An empathy training program designed for taxi drivers

Despite growing efforts to improve accessibility, people with disabilities often face persistent mobility challenges and reduced willingness to travel. Due to this unmet need, many cities are piloting barrier-free ride services as an innovative solution. Aside from vehicle adaptations, taxi drivers' professionalism and empathy remain crucial to ensuring quality service. The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate an empathy training program tailored for taxi drivers who serve passengers with disabilities. A two-day training program was developed to address cognitive, affective, and behavioral empathy. A total of thirty professional taxi drivers participated in our study, completing self-reported empathy scales and simulator-based driving tests before and after training. Changes in attitudes and behavior after training were evaluated using paired t-tests. Results demonstrate that the training significantly enhanced drivers' empathy toward passengers with disabilities, as demonstrated by improved scores on context-specific empathy scales. There was also evidence of positive results in objective driving measures: drivers exhibited lower variability in G-force, yaw rate, and speed, indicating smoother, more stable, and more passenger-friendly driving behavior. Further feedback revealed strong support for the program, with many drivers expressing their willingness to undergo refresher training. Together, these findings demonstrate the feasibility and necessity of empathy training as a complement to barrier-free ride initiatives. This study contributes to a broader discussion of transportation equity by demonstrating that human-centered service practices are just as important as infrastructure in promoting inclusive and dignified mobility.