The role of digital mobility skills in the uptake of shared modes at mobility hubs

Abstract

The popularity of shared mobility services (such as bike or e-scooter sharing) and mobility hubs is increasing in cities worldwide, with the potential to improve accessibility for all. With the expanding role of shared mobility travellers must rely on smartphones that are typically needed to use them, and not having the ability to use a smartphone could lead to digital inequality. However, the impact of digital mobility skills on the uptake of shared mobility has hardly been studied. This paper examines the determinants of digital mobility skills and their impacts on the uptake of different forms of shared mobility at mobility hubs. The results of a large-scale survey (N = 2515) across four different cities in Europe were analysed using statistical analyses, showing that lower digital mobility skills are related to other vulnerable-to-exclusion characteristics such as higher age, lower educational level, and unemployment. Furthermore, the uptake of shared modes at mobility hubs is much lower for people with low digital mobility skills, as they face additional barriers to using these services. These results reveal how the growth of app-driven shared mobility services can increase accessibility inequalities.