Can free-floating shared e-scooters and e-bikes help in the depollution of the air and who is using them for this purpose? The case of Braga, Portugal

Abstract

The usage of micromobility in cities is related to the decrease in private vehicle ridership for short-distance trips, as well as the decline in GHG emissions, which contributes to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, namely Goal 11.2 which refers to the provision of a sustainable transport system for all (United Nations, 2018). Other promises of shared micromobility in cities are the provision of a more equitable and resilient mode of transport, as well as the increase in route flexibility, and the improvement of the efficiency in the “last mile” traveled (Arcadis, 2019). The city of Braga, north of Portugal, relied on the deployment of shared micromobility services to reduce private car ridership and ease traffic congestion, mainly during peak hours. Thus, in the summer of 2019, the first shared e-scooters were deployed in the city. In the fall of 2022, to celebrate European Mobility Week, free-floating shared e-bikes were introduced to enlarge the micromobility option to the population. Therefore, this research work aims at i) understanding how shared micromobility services are used in Braga; ii) if they can promote the depollution of the air in the city; and iii) who is using them. For this, a case study in the referred city will be performed in order to gather geospatial trip information, as well as the number of trips made by each micromobility mode, the distance of trips by mode, and the avoided CO2 emitted to the atmosphere. In addition, a survey will be deployed to delineate the users' profiles and acknowledge their sociodemographic characteristics. The trip data evaluated correspond to the period from October 1st, 2022, to January 31st, 2023. This was the period when shared e-scooters and shared e-bikes were available to the population, as the e-bike service was discontinued. Shared e-scooters and e-bikes differ greatly in the number of trips made in Braga. While e-scooters were responsible for more than 79,000 trips in the four months evaluated, e-bikes only made about 1,200 trips in the same period. This can be related to the fact that shared e-scooters were already established as a mode of transport in Braga, while shared e-bikes were a new addition to the transport system. All of the trips made by shared micromobility were responsible for saving more than 1,300 kg of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere, which can contribute to the achievement of sustainability goals and help the depollution of the air. Most of the trips made by shared e-scooters have their origin in the city center, as well as near the biggest shopping mall of the region and the surroundings of the University of Minho, which is the biggest higher education pole in Braga, yet their preferred destination is the shopping mall. For shared e-bikes, it is somewhat different, since most of the trips have their origin in the city center of Braga, while their main destination is the greenway. The survey deployed in Braga reveals that micromobility users are mostly young males (70%) who are currently students (74%) and have medium to high family monthly income (54%). Therefore, this mode of transport lacks the promotion of diversity in its users’ profile, since other sociodemographic groups are underrepresented, such as females, and people with lower monthly incomes. In short, shared micromobility can be a great asset in cities to avoid air pollution and decrease private car ridership for commuting, shopping, and leisure trips. However, more needs to be done in order to establish this mode as an option for all who need it, as long as the diversity of the population is not represented among users of shared e-scooters and shared e-bikes in Braga.