A Micromobility Buffet: E-Scooters in the Context of Multimodal Spaces and Practices in Greater Manchester

Abstract

E-scootersare a relatively new form of mobility that is becoming more prevalent. Aroundthe world, cities and countries are developing differing responses to a rapid growthin their use. Understanding e-scooter use as part of a developing trend for bothnew e-micromobility vehicles and for new sharing and rental systems facilitatedthrough technology, it is important to understand how use is shaped by, andshapes, mobility spaces, and how e-scooters relate to existing mobilitypractices and transport planning policy, to create new ways of getting around. Whilstthe use of private e-scooters in public spaces remains illegal in the UK, Government-ledtrials have been taking place since autumn 2020. These are focused on rentalschemes in specific towns and cities across the country with the intention ofcreating an evidence base on usership and contextual issues. This paper presentsevidence from the Greater Manchester trial and is based on research conductedin collaboration with Transport for Greater Manchester and Lime, the private e-scooteroperator. The study combines online surveys, reference groups and qualitativeinterviews in an iterative cycle over the course of the trial to provide insightsinto who is using, and not using, the rental e-scooters and for what purposes. Itcontextualises the e-scooter trial within a broader discussion with other roadand pavement users to establish the ways they impact upon and interact with mobilityspaces and practices. Although focused on the rental scheme, the study alsotakes account of the use of and experiences around private e-scooters.Ourconversations with people in Greater Manchester reveal a complex relationshipwith e-scooters that reflects both a recognition of their potential to reducethe impact of urban journeys on climate change and air quality and a concernabout the ways these vehicles could integrate into mobility systems. People sawscope to use the scooters instead of other modes and as part of mode chainingbut the potential for this was limited by concerns about safety on the roadand, at present, the operational area of the trial, which did not always allow usersto access their places of work or education or to connect with public transportinterchanges. To some extent these concerns reflect the novelty of thetechnology, and could therefore change over time, but it is also the case thatviews resonate with well-established barriers to cycling and highlight thetendency for roads to be dominated by motor vehicles to the extent that usersof other modes feel vulnerable. Understanding e-scooters in this way placesthem within wider debates around active travel, the allocation of road space,and the enforcement of driving standards.Thereis however an additional dimension, which is the potential for e-scooters toimpact upon people walking and cycling and on vulnerable pavement users in particular.Their quiet operation and relatively high speeds have prompted some concerns fromgroups with visual and mobility impairments and our respondents have reportedspecific instances of feeling unsafe, experiencing collisions, or having tomove out of the way of an e-scooter. These observations call for a better understandingof what constitutes responsible, or ‘good’, e-micromobility use in contestedspaces. Conversely, there are potential use cases through which e-scooters facilitateinclusion, such as when they provide a form of mobility that requires lessexertion than cycling and when they can be used as a relatively inexpensive mobilityaid. They could therefore enable people who feel excluded from cycling to enjoya level of active mobility. There is also some evidence that, by reducing thetime spent waiting at transport interchanges, they can alleviate some concernabout personal safety.@font-face{font-family:"Cambria Math";panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face{font-family:Calibri;panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:swiss;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-469750017 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";margin:0cm;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}.MsoChpDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;mso-default-props:yes;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}div.WordSection1{page:WordSection1;}