Five leading operators of shared e-scooters and e-bikes have published ten recommendations for cities to integrate shared micromobility vehicles better and safely onto their streets.
Global micromobility operators Dott, Lime, Superpedestrian, TIER Mobility, and Voi have collaborated to create a framework, in a rare move in the competitive industry.
The recommendations reflect the expertise gained from the operators’ combined knowledge. Together, the five companies operate over three quarters of a million vehicles across 37 countries.
In order to help cities succeed with lowering air pollution and providing a strong alternative to individual cars and a complement to public transport, the five operators put forward ten recommendations across two main themes: defining the best environment the service should function in and highlighting the best way to regulate programs to be financially sustainable over the long term.
The companies make recommendations on fleet sizes and vendor contract length, tying these factors to greater reliability for frequent riders, such as those who use the services for commutes to work or university. The recommendations suggest that the addition of new vehicles to city streets should be directly tied to the operators’ performance keeping city streets tidy and well-maintained.
The framework makes more technical recommendations on data sharing protocols, vendor fees, and vendor selection protocols, encouraging cities to consider reliability, safety, sustainability, and fleet management as the top selection criteria. Once vendors are selected to serve the city, the recommendations suggest operating areas contiguous with city boundaries where possible, speeds between 20-25km/h and ample parking.
Finally, the operators advice to continuously improve rider experience to ensure people shift to sustainable, shared and zero-carbon emission transportation for good. Among the recommendations focused on rider experience, it includes contract terms long enough for riders to become familiar with a brand’s service and rely on it, contiguous coverage areas so riders are not stopped mid-journey, and practical parking schemes which allow riders to park at their destination.
In a joint statement, Henri Moissinac, CEO, Dott; Wayne Ting, CEO, Lime; Assaf Biderman, CEO, Superpedestrian; Lawrence Leuschner, CEO, TIER Mobility; and Fredrik Hjelm, CEO, Voi, said, “In pretty short time, the micromobility industry experienced huge growth, providing the strongest challenge yet to personal car use in cities. To ensure ongoing sustainability and global consistency, we combined our expertise to develop recommendations to cities that we believe are best practices for regulating micromobility programs.
“We have created a strong framework that has the potential to greatly improve the micromobility experience for riders and non-riders alike, allowing cities to experience the best of what our services provide.
“We came together to issue these recommendations. Now that we’ve demonstrated what conditions lead to sustainable services, we’re looking forward to working with city authorities to put these recommendations into action.”
Read the full Micromobility Industry Best Practice recommendations here.
