The Implications of Electric Scooters as a New Technology Artifact in Urban Transportation

Abstract

E-scooters are becoming an increasingly important component of urban transportation networks, providing a sustainable alternative for first and last-mile travel. However, if they are not managed and regulated carefully, they can become a risk to users and cities in general. In this paper, we studied the emergence of this innovative, platform- based, and shareable e-scooter, as a possible ‘greener’ transport alternative, from a sustainability and environmental awareness perspective. The most critical question is legislation. Urban planners need to implement laws limiting maximum speeds, requiring the use of e-scooter infrastructure, and providing dedicated parking, as well as limiting the number of licensed operators. In our exploratory research, we conducted three focus group discussions to explore the views of non-users and then built the nomological network from the key phenomenons they identified. The participants are confused about micro-mobility solutions, according to the findings, due to a lack of clarity on regulatory problems and poor infrastructure. As a result, we propose that policies should be co-developed in cooperation with various stakeholders to enable antagonistic conversation about alternative policy actions by evaluating their effectiveness in terms of behavioral change as well as their implementability.