Why e-scooters are the 'public mobility glue' for urban transport
Opinion
Authors
Dr Richard Buning – UQ Business School
Professor Jonathan Corcoran – School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Dr Maisie Rahbar – School of Civil Engineering
Professor Bob McKercher – UQ Business School
Associate Professor Dorina Pojani – School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Associate Professor Thomas Sigler – School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Dr Frank Zou – School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Associate Professor Anne Hardy – University of Tasmania School of Social Studies
Brisbane faces a variety of mobility challenges over the next decade, especially as the city prepares for an influx of tourists for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Despite a divide in public opinion and legislative confusion, some experts are looking to the potential of micromobility – such as e-scooters and e-bikes – to help alleviate the pressure.
Shared e-scooters present an important component of the mobility solution, ferrying commuters and tourists over the first and last miles of their journeys – an important dimension to achieving a climate-positive Games.
With micromobility disrupting urban transport globally, policymakers are looking to Brisbane for learnings on how to implement e-mobility technology, and UQ researchers are leading the discussion.
Image: Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images
Image: Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images
What are the benefits of micromobility?
Micromobility is a relatively new term, comprising different transportation technologies, such as e-scooters and e-bikes. What separates these from previous modes of active transport is their increasing integration with existing transport networks – like trains and buses – and their widespread adoption through sharing platforms.
E-scooters have been in the limelight recently due to their rapid increase in popularity, both in platform-oriented sharing schemes and private ownership. The benefits of e-scooters as a new player in the mobility landscape are that they are small and lightweight, easy to use, and pollution-free.
Some policymakers see potential for e-scooters to form a critical part of our pathway towards more sustainable transport in cities for both locals and tourists. This is especially important for Australian cities, which are among the most car-dependent cities in the world.
However, there is considerable debate around unresolved safety issues, parking and integration with existing road infrastructures, such as riding on footpaths.
Brisbane is at the forefront of a micromobility transport revolution
The first e-scooter scheme was launched in Santa Monica, California, in September 2017. The first shared e-scooters appeared on Brisbane's streets shortly after (in 2018), making it the first city in Australia to adopt the technology.
They have since become extremely popular and colourful shared e-scooters now line the streets of Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart, Townsville, Darwin and Perth. Shared e-scooter schemes have also spread to more than 200 cities worldwide, and this growth is expected to continue.
E-scooters offer both locals and tourists an efficient and effective way to cover short distances – all without breaking into a sweat: an important factor in Brisbane with its hot humid climate with hilly terrain.
But why has Brisbane led the way in implementing e-mobility technology and why has it been so successful here?
Brisbane City Council has led the way on a number of micromobility firsts in Australia; Brisbane was the first Australian city to adopt bike share in 2009, the first major Australian city with an e-scooter scheme in 2018 and the first Australian city with an e-mobility strategy.
Brisbane is also serving as a role model when it comes to developing effective regulation and legislation to ensure shared e-scooters enhance and amplify micromobility options that are safe, accessible, affordable and enjoyable. Recent additions, such as scooter parking signage and the creation of world’s first app-controlled helmets, have positioned Brisbane as one of the most progressive cities in the world for micromobility.
As a result, e-scooters are proving to be a public mobility ‘glue’ for urban transport, with more than 8.4 million trips on shared e-scooters in Brisbane since late 2018, including more than 3 million trips last financial year.
Moving beyond safety misperceptions and into understanding
When cars were first introduced in the US, there were fears for pedestrian safety as cars were considered dangerous intruders to otherwise slow-speed city streets. Today, modern safety standards for automobiles and roadways have been built on a century of design, research, and innovation – yet road deaths are still increasing. Likewise, safety is a major concern with e-scooters where legislation and policy has struggled to keep up with the emerging technology. Though helmet legislation and speed limits are increasingly prevalent, there are still considerable ambiguities around how best to ensure rider safety while allowing for common-sense usage.
Wide ranging micromobility benefits to communities and visitors are still being uncovered, such as expanding visitor distribution across communities, increased visitor spending, reduction of car trips, shorter travel times and reduced carbon emissions.
Shared e-scooters are the most highly controlled and regulated transport option on the road, as speed, location, and helmet use are all controlled via an app. Whereas personal e-mobility devices do not face such strict tech-based controls, allowing users to ride in any areas they wish and at unrestricted speeds.
Image: Jono Searle/Getty Images
Image: Jono Searle/Getty Images
UQ is leading the research discussion in shared micromobility
In an attempt to ease foreseeable traffic congestion and safety concerns, the University hosted the first UQ Micromobility and Tourism Symposium in December last year to discuss the future of e-scooters and e-bikes in Australia.
Industry leaders from tourism, transport, academia and government discussed tourism opportunities, health and safety risks, the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and integrating micromobility into the broader transport system as a viable and sustainable supplement to public transport and as a replacement for short automobile trips.
UQ is uniquely positioned with industry-leading projects across business, tourism, geography, urban planning, and transport engineering. Notably, the UQ-led ODIN PASS app has demonstrated that micromobility can seamlessly integrate with public transport and shared transport, providing much-needed missing connections in urban transport.
ODIN PASS is Australia’s largest mobility service trial in which participants can purchase different bundles, such as unlimited public transport, unlimited shared e-bikes or e-scooters, as well as discounts on taxi trips and car-sharing.
The aim is to increase the use of both public transport and micromibility, leading to lower single-occupancy vehicle use, reduced vehicle emissions, and improved public health outcomes.
Since launching the trial in July 2021, about 17,000 bundles have been purchased, and more than 700,000 trips have been booked. The app was also the recipient of a UQ Award for Excellence in Innovation in 2022.
As we look to the future, UQ scholars are focused on understanding and uncovering how micromobility can best and safely supplement our transport network for both residents and tourists.
If you would like to learn more about micromobility or be part of the discussion, email micromobility@uq.edu.au
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