The Future Role of Shared E-Scooters in Urban Mobility: Preliminary Findings from Portugal

Abstract

E-scooter sharing systems are a new mobility solution that is emerging in cities all throughout the world. Its rapid diffusion and disruptive nature have gained immediate attention from scholars, decision-makers, the public and the media (with strong arguments in favor of or against being put forward). To date, the scientific community has focused mostly on studying the determinants for adoption by end-users, the trip patterns, the safety, and the sustainability of such systems. This research work provides preliminary insights on the future role that these shared mobility systems can play in urban mobility. The study focuses on recent experiences in Portugal (more than a dozen cities and a dozen service providers) drawing on a literature review and an expert survey (N = 23) with local decision-makers, scholars, service providers and civic associations. The analysis provides a positive outlook on the future of shared e-scooters, observes that deployment has been taking place through waves of launch–test–withdraw/expand, and highlights which policies and actions should be prioritized so that these systems can make a truly significant contribution towards sustainable urban mobility and livable cities.

Characteristics and Injury Patterns in Traumatic Brain Injury Related to E-Scooter Use in Riga, Latvia: Multicenter Case Series

“…The patient was a 30-year-old male; although it has not been proven that men have a higher risk of fatal outcomes in this scenario, there have been studies showing male predominance in fatal outcomes related to e-scooter use [22]. Previous data also showed role in factors such as time of the day-with more fatal cases occurring during nighttime (from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.), and regarding alcohol intoxication, in our case, the trauma occurred at around 5 a.m., since the patient arrived at the hospital at 05.46 a.m., and the patient was under the influence of alcohol, with severe intoxication evident upon arrival at the emergency department (1.2 g/L) [22]. Upon admission, the patient's GCS score was 3, although it is not possible to generalize this data-it could be a factor for worse prognosis, as the patient's overall condition was initially poor.…”