Analysis of Shared Electric Scooter Use in Riga

Shared electric micromobility has been becoming increasingly popular during last few years, especially in the context of Covid-19 and its impact on public transportation. Because of the electric propulsion, electric scooters are considered as potentially one of the ways how to decrease CO₂ emissions in urban transportation sector. This article examines the electric scooter trip data obtained during 2021 scooter season in Riga city. The data analysis shows similarities between scooter trips in Riga and other cities, most notably the hourly trip distribution. There are differences however in many aspects, like average trip distance and duration; the largest difference being the slow average scooter trip speed in Riga, (5.4 km/h) which is comparable to fast walking. The observed significant variance between the trips indicates, that a systematic and holistic approach will be needed to use the scooter trip data making decisions about urban transportation and not relying on average trip data values. The findings from this article will add to understanding of urban transportation in North-Eastern Europe.