Background Platform-based fast delivery is developing rapidly in many cities across the world, especially in the food sector. Yet knowledge about the characteristics and the activity patterns of delivery couriers is scarce, especially in terms of their mobility behavior. Methodology Based on two questionnaire surveys conducted in 2020 and 2021 with 300 and 500 couriers respectively, this article analyses the profiles, motivations and mobility patterns of couriers working in Paris (France), with a focus on the impacts of the pandemic. Results First, the analysis of the profiles and motivations of couriers reveals that platform-based delivery is largely a temporary activity performed by young males of foreign origin, and undertaken as a student job or an entry to the labor market. Second, data on mobility patterns confirm that platform-based delivery is a dangerous activity with a high risk of road accidents. Moreover, many couriers break the law in order to increase their income by using motorized two-wheelers that are not legally permitted in France. We also show the use of shared bikes, which seems to be a great support tool for couriers who are starting work in this sector or have a problem with their own bikes. Third, the pandemic prompted many students to become platform-based delivery couriers in order to compensate for the lack of student jobs. It also worsened the working conditions of the majority of platform-based couriers. These findings raise new urban policy challenges and also new avenues for research in terms of topics and methods.

Shared dockless e-scooters were first launched in Paris in the summer of 2018. These services were met with mixed reception: although some praised them for offering a new mobility solution to urban dwellers, others soon questioned their environmental impact. An emerging body of literature using lifecycle analysis shows that shared e-scooters are more pollutant than walking, cycling, and public transportation, but remain preferable to cars. To better grasp the impacts of dockless e-scooters, it is therefore necessary to identify which modes of transportation they replace. As mobility highly depends on local context, city-specific data are needed. Although modal change data from cities in North America and New Zealand are available, there is no similar information from dense European cities. Using quantitative survey data collected from shared e-scooter users in Paris, the present research offers novel data on modal shift toward dockless e-scooters in the French capital. Results show that for their last trip riding a shared e-scooter, most users would have walked or used public transportation had e-scooters not been an option, and only a limited share of them would have used a car. However, the overall impact of e-scooters on walking and public transportation use remains limited and they display a significant complementarity with public transportation. Such city-specific data on e-scooter use and impacts provide valuable inputs for local public authorities to implement efficient and tailored regulatory measures, so as to include these services in sustainable mobility policies.

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