Electric scooter use: The perspective of university students

Abstract

Introduction

E-scooters stand out as a vehicle that has the potential to support the mode shift towards more sustainable transport and to achieve greater equity in mobility. There is a need to examine the attitudes and views of various segments of society towards e-scooters to understand the impact of this new vehicle on cities and to provide various operational and safety solutions.

Methods

This study conducted a face-to-face survey focusing on revealing the perspectives of university students in nine major cities in Türkiye. A survey was carried out with a total of 1302 people, and 1211 valid questionnaires were provided for statistical analysis. Various results related to the university students' views and attitudes on e-scooter use were achieved through the binary and ordered logit models.

Results

Results principally provide the variables affecting the current and future use of e-scooters. The remarkable results are outlined as follows: (i) E-scooter use is positively affected by university students' attitudes that e-scooters are enjoyable and economical, and they offer time savings and ease of use. (ii) Short-distance and short-duration commute trips by e-scooters are embraced by university students. (iii) The risk of falling, the high fees of shared e-scooters, access problems to shared e-scooters, and aesthetic concerns are major obstacles to e-scooter use.

Conclusions

Developing all aspects of micromobility is well-known to be a critical task for a healthier and sustainable urban life. This study, which focuses on university students' perspectives on e-scooter use, can be seen as a part of this task, and the findings and discussions may be beneficial for transport infrastructure providers and policymakers.