The Role of Shared E-Scooter Systems in Urban Sustainability and Resilience during the Covid-19 Mobility Restrictions

Gabriel Dias,Elisabete Arsenio,Paulo Ribeiro

doi:10.3390/su13137084

Abstract

Shared e-scooter systems were first introduced in 2017 and have since been spreading around the world as a sustainable mode of transport. The success of this mode is also due to new urban mobility strategies and plans, such as the European Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, which relies on non-pollutant modes. To display the range of effects that can be achieved in urban mobility through the proper implementation of shared e-scooter systems, a systematic literature review and a case study were performed. It was found that this shared system can help cities with environmental issues, such as reducing air pollution, reducing inequality in access to transport, promoting money-saving, and improving mobility resilience. During the Covid-19 pandemic, shared e-scooters became a great asset in many cities worldwide, because they promote social distancing and help cities not to rely only on private cars to replace public transport rides, especially for short-distance trips. In the case study of Braga, it was found that the city still relies on shared e-scooter modes as a mobility option after the pandemic, also promoting special fares for people to start using the service.

Highlights

This article aims at discussing how shared e-scooters are used in cities and how they can help urban mobility to achieve sustainability goals in its three pillars—
The literature available about the subject is composed of scientific journal publications, company reports, government reports, and manuals edited by urban mobility experts
Phase 2 started with the application of general keywords for research, such as “Micromobility”, “Shared micromobility”, “E-scooters”, “Shared e-scooters”, “Sustainability and micromobility”, “Smart and sustainable cities”, “Urban resilience”, “Resilience in urban mobility and transport”, and “Micromobility and Covid-19 pandemic”

Summary

Introduction

The most common modes of transportation used in these trips are cars, followed by walking, and bus [78]. This tendency to use individual vehicles has been growing in Braga if compared to data from the 2001 Census, and a decrease in trips by foot and by public transport have been noticed as well [79]. More than 65% of these trips are made in less than 15 min [77], which could be done by walking or a micromobility option, such as shared e-scooters. The pedestrian zones have been created since 1995 with the pedestrianization of the main streets of the city center, including the area of the Republic square and Souto street [80], and nowadays it counts more than

Objectives

Findings

Methods

Conclusion