The ambivalent relationship of e-scooters and public transport: Evidence from France

Abstract

This paper aims at assessing competitiveness of shared e-scooters relative to public transport proposing a methodology that uses empirical data at the individual trip level and comparing e-scooter trips with the alternative public transit route available to the traveler at the time of the trip, as estimated by a navigation and public transit application. This allows us to obtain information at the individual transit trip level, such as in-vehicle time, walking, waiting, and other. We then explore the competitiveness between the two alternatives using two performance measures – travel time (TT) and an estimation of the generalized cost (GC) of a trip – for different levels of aggregation. Results show that in general, e-scooters are more competitive in terms of travel time. However, due to the higher pricing, generalized cost of transit is generally lower than that of e-scooter. In 60% of the cases users would lower their generalized cost by using public transport instead of e-scooter. On average, e-scooter is a better option for trips up to 15min, while public transit is better for longer trips. They are also more competitive during hours when transit frequency is reduced, as well as in areas with reduced service. Finally, we also find that one in five trips complement public transport service offering transportation outside of transit service hours or between areas with no connectivity. Further research should include surveys in order to obtain more details on the psychological constructs of the users.