Micromobility Revolution – Challenges and Potentials

Abstract

Modern cities and their transportation systems are challenged by new mobility options – micromobility. Electric scooters as the advanced successors of the Segway have flooded the streets of modern cities precisely because of their positive features. They are easy to use, environmentally friendly, faster than traditional public transportation and more compact than a bicycle, allowing users to travel quickly and cheaply and retain complete autonomy of their movement. Regardless of whether they are private vehicles or part of an organized transport service offer, e-scooters are increasingly more important in the daily modal share in urban areas. On the one hand, this seems like a dream come true for the future of mobility, but the reality points to the potential problems that these changes are bringing and which must be addressed appropriately. The street profile has its spatial limitations and usually separates non-motorized and motorized users, and this could be disrupted by new micromobility options. Even in the cases of shared spaces, these vehicles could change the usual mobility pattern. Also, the legislation does not recognize e-scooters and we cannot legally define and protect them, nor we can assign them a place in the street profile. Special attention must be paid to the safety issue for all traffic participants, especially for pedestrians and vulnerable categories. This paper will give a brief overview of the present situation of micromobility in urban areas worldwide and in Serbian cities. Furthermore, it will consider the possibilities and preconditions for its wider use.