Same same, but different? Cycling and e‐scootering in a rapidly changing urban transport landscape

Abstract

This paper explores whether e-scooters can be considered similar to cycling in terms of their demographic appeal and skills required. Building on a social practices approach, we hypothesise that e-scootering and urban cycling may appeal to a similar demographic and require similar competencies. We draw on data from a 2019 survey of users and non-users of e-scooters. Respondents are not more likely to use an e-scooter if they have cycling experience. E-scooters seem to appeal to a broader demographic than cycling. Users are more likely to be young, able, males. Cycling experience is not associated with e-scooter competence.

Shared E-Scooters: A Review of Uses, Health and Environmental Impacts, and Policy Implications of a New Micro-Mobility Service

“…For instance, a study in Vienna found that the majority of e-scooter users in Vienna are male, young, and highly educated [14]. Similarly, shared e-scooters in New Zealand seem to appeal more to younger males [48]. Non-academic work in the US [20] and in France [39] showed similar patterns.…”

“…Non-academic work in the US [20] and in France [39] showed similar patterns. Moreover, some studies highlighted a positive correlation between e-scooter use and higher levels of education [48,49].…”

“…From hospitalization records, Trivedi et al [56] found that 90% of patients with escooter related injuries sustained them while riding. As evidenced by the profile of e-scooter users discussed in the previous section, patients tend to be young men [53,56,58,60], a demographic group with a statistically proven propensity for risky behavior (e.g., [48]). Besides the riders themselves, other road users are exposed to e-scooter-related injuries.…”

Where Have Shared E-Scooters Taken Us So Far? A Review of Mobility Patterns, Usage Frequency, and Personas

“…--* Respondents could choose more than one trip purpose; ** trip purpose was not analyzed separately, however, it was classified by mode substitution in each trip purpose which is summarized in "Mode Substitution" column; *** the first number is the likelihood of choosing that mode for the last e-scooter trips and the second number is the travel mode change in general since the e-scooter emerged in the city (multiple choice is allowed for the second one). * Multiple choice is allowed; ** in [58] the numbers are for all respondents in the survey however, in [59], the numbers are only for e-scooter users; *** the data description has not been reported thoroughly in the paper; **** some papers have provided sociodemographic characteristics for only e-scooter users and others for the whole respondents which has been mentioned in this table.…”

Cycling and how to study it: Looking at the New Zealand case

“…Infrastructures such as dockless bike or e-scooter rental systems have the potential to transform urban mobility systems in all sorts of ways. Curl and Fitt's (2020) article gives an initial overview of how dockless e-scooters have been taken up in Auckland and Christchurch. The promise of new platform based micromobility technologies is that they will introduce a range of sustainable mobility modalities-cycling amongst them-to new demographics of users.…”