Light, compact, and quick, electric powered kick-scooters can be a convenient way to make short trips around a city. However the increasingly common devices are not very popular. Even among regular users of micro-mobility services, scooters are the least favored format with bicycles and Vespa-like scooters considerably more preferred. Shared kick-scooters in markets that do not require set parking locations are frequently found blocking sidewalks and other pathways, causing concern among residents – particularly amongst those who do not use such services. Nevertheless, according to a McKinsey Study, 29% of the top 100 global cities have no e-scooter regulations, and a further 23% regulate the market, but without limitations to the number of operators in the market. Just over one third of the top cities have banned shared e-scooter services from operation. While a little slower, walking is also an option.
Source: McKinsey, April 2023.