Assessing social and spatial access equity in regulatory frameworks for moped-style scooter sharing services
Bach, Xavier (Institut d'Estudis Regionals i Metropolitans de Barcelona)
Miralles-Guasch, Carme 1961- (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Geografia)
Marquet Sardà, Oriol (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)

Date:	2023
Abstract:	Moped-style scooter sharing services (MSS) offer short-period renting for daily urban mobility and are gaining popularity in cities worldwide. MSS provide substantial promise in reducing car-dependency and helping sustainability goals, but also significant risks in terms of spatial access equity and social justice. In recent years, European cities have been testing different regulation strategies for MSS but not always succeeding regarding social equity and spatial accessibility criteria. In this context, this study employs a semi-structured interviewing approach to discuss the main existing MSS regulation models. The aim is to understand how experts, policymakers, and private operators assess the strengths and weaknesses of each model to guarantee spatial and social equity regarding accessibility to the service, while preserving the long-term economic interests of private operators. Our results show a diversity of opinions, with solid consensus on proposing an alternative to the Barcelona regulatory model (capped vehicle licenses, uncapped number of operators), ranging from a numerus clausus model (Paris or Amsterdam) to a laissez-faire model (Madrid or Berlin), based on an open dialogue between administrations and the private sector. However, most respondents noted that the natural path of the regulation (as has happened in the past with other transport innovations) is towards a close public-private partnership model, with greater management and control capacity by the public sector. This option generates the greatest consensus of favouring a more spatial and socially equitable service while preserving its economic viability, although it would involve significant commitment and investment of the public sector. These findings provide valuable feedback for policymakers and transport regulators on how to approach micromobility and MSS regulation.
Grants:	Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca BDNS-443065 Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2019-104344RB-I00 European Commission 845570
Note:	Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UAB
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Note:	Altres ajuts: Institut de Cultura, Ajuntament de Barcelona. Grant number 19S01360-006
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Equity ; Micromobility ; Moped-style scooter sharing ; Public-private collaboration ; Shared mobility ; Transport policy
Published in:	Transport Policy, Vol. 132 (March 2023) , p. 154-162, ISSN 1879-310X

DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2023.01.002

9 p, 2.5 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles