Share taxi

A share taxi, shared taxi, taxibus, or jitney or dollar van in the US, marshrutka in former Soviet countries, a danfo in Nigeria, a sherut in Israel, or a minibus in European countries and Turkey, is a mode of transport which falls between a taxicab and a bus. Share taxis, when not fully formalised, are a form of paratransit. They are vehicles for hire and are typically smaller than buses. Share taxis usually take passengers on a fixed or semi-fixed route without timetables, sometimes only departing when all seats are filled. They may stop anywhere to pick up or drop off their passengers. They are most common in developing countries and inner cities.

The vehicles used as share taxis range from four-seat cars to minibuses, midibuses, covered pickup trucks, station wagons, and trucks. Certain vehicle types may be better-suited than others. They are often owner-operated.

One of the reasons for the widespread use of share taxis in locations like Jakarta in Indonesia or Manila in the Philippines is lack of public transportation of other kinds. An increase in bus fares usually leads to a significant rise in usage of pocket-friendly share taxis. Market-oriented economists and policy analysts have argued for liberalizing entry as an alternative to subsidized public transit, a case made in Ross Eckert and George Hilton's study of the early American jitney industry and in later Reason Foundation work by Peter Gordon and Harry Richardson. Concerns over passenger safety, insurance liability and enforcement have limited legislative support.

Some share taxi services are forms of demand-responsive transport and include shared shuttle bus service to airports. Some can be booked online using mobile apps.