Role of shared scooters in urban mobility systems — Bolt 2024 survey

• Bolt scooters are driving higher consideration and usage of public transport. 53% of Bolt scooter riders are more likely to switch from cars to public transport due to shared scooter availability.
• Scooters decrease car dependency. 30% of Bolt scooter riders who don’t own a car are less likely to buy one as they can use shared scooters instead.
• Scooters positively impact businesses. Bolt scooter riders who make purchases contribute an incremental €46 of consumer spending into local communities for every 5 trips. 

To celebrate European Mobility Week, we conducted research across 14 out of 25 European countries where we offer micromobility services to understand the role of shared scooters in urban mobility systems.

The study revealed that shared scooters make cities more inclusive by expanding mobility options for those in underserved areas, decrease reliance on private cars, and positively impact local businesses.

Read on as we discuss the survey’s main findings.

More inclusivity, less car dependency

Increasing connectivity with urban centres

In suburban areas where public transport isn’t easily accessible, shared scooters and e-bikes can connect people to places in the city to work, rest, and study. 

In 2022, the Wildau University of Applied Sciences (TH Wildau) found that approximately 67% of Bolt scooter riders in the outer suburbs of Berlin primarily connected their micromobility trips with public transport. 

Decreasing car-dependency

The 2024 European Mobility Week’s central theme is Shared Public Space, with an emphasis on better social equity, road safety, less noise and air pollution, and better quality of life.

With Mobility Week traditionally culminating in Car-Free Day, one of our study’s aims was to analyse how scooters impact reliance on private cars.

We found that 39% of Bolt scooter riders would have used private cars if shared scooters hadn’t been available. Furthermore, 38% of Bolt scooter riders don’t own a car, and 30% of those 38% are less likely to buy one as they can use shared scooters instead.

The evidence suggests that access to Bolt scooters influences car owners’ decisions to sell their cars and makes it less likely for non-owners to purchase one. 

With more alternatives, fewer people need to rely on private cars, making our cities less car-dependent and more people-centric.

Benefits to local businesses

Scooters are a city staple, with 53% of riders using them regularly for commuting and 59% for running errands, making them a crucial part of urban mobility.

The availability of shared scooters also boosts the local economy:

• Almost 50% of scooter riders claimed that they paused their rides to stop at a local business. 
• 35% declared they bought goods during at least 2 previous rides, while 27% purchased goods during at least 3 rides.

Over half of scooter riders who stop at local businesses during trips said that scooters are a quick and easy way to move around, which encourages them to reach local businesses. 

48% of respondents highlighted the ease of scooter parking, making it easier to visit venues like restaurants, cafes, and shops.

Final thoughts and suggestions

European Mobility Week will end, but the conversation on accessible and affordable transport should continue.

To give everybody access to shared mobility, operators and cities must ensure that scooters and e-bikes are available in the areas where people live, work, and study. 

On average, Bolt users are willing to walk up to 4 minutes to get to a scooter or an e-bike for a 10-minute ride. 

Thus, operators should ensure their vehicles are available at the right place and time. 

City authorities, meanwhile, must ensure that regulations allow enough scooters and e-bikes to operate so everyone who wants to use shared mobility instead of a private car can do so.

By combining our efforts, we can make our public spaces accessible, people-centric, and safe.