Paris has long been the trendsetter in promoting sustainable transportation in tier-one cities worldwide. From the 15-minute city concept to the successful Vélib' Métropole bike-sharing system and the buzzing market for micromobility sharing startups, Paris has been the city to watch. However, the recent referendum on 2nd April 2023, in which 90% of votes favored banning e-scooter sharing, serves as a wake-up call for reevaluating the future of micromobility and its role in urban transportation.
The Rise and Fall of E-Scooter Sharing in Paris
In the past few years, the streets of Paris have been flooded with e-scooters operated by companies like Lime, Dott, and Tier. While these dockless micromobility options provided a convenient solution for short trips, they also brought chaos to the city: improperly parked e-scooters cluttering sidewalks, accidents involving pedestrians, and general disregard for traffic rules. In 2022, three people died and 459 were injured in e-scooter accidents in Paris, which further fueled public dissatisfaction with this mode of transportation.
It's no surprise that Parisians, fed up with the growing issues, overwhelmingly voted to ban e-scooter sharing. However, this decision raises a critical question: Does the ban mean the end of micromobility, not just for Paris but more cities will follow?
Micromobility Still Matters and Opportunities Open Up for Innovators
Despite the troubles caused by dockless e-scooter sharing, it's essential not to dismiss micromobility as a whole. Bikes and e-scooters still play a vital role in creating a sustainable, accessible urban environment by reducing car usage and providing eco-friendly alternatives for transportation.
Dockless micromobility sharing has been a darling to cities. It doesn't cost a city any money and they don't even build infrastructure for that, compared to expensive legacy docked bike-sharing schemes. Riders love it for its free-flowing vehicles everywhere for optimal convenience.
However, when the chaos it brings to the city cannot justify its benefits, it’s time to look for better alternatives. The huge market size and potential for urban sustainable transport remain the same. This means opportunities are open for startups and innovators.
Our predictions:
We are excited about this opportunity. We believe there should be much more sustainable and sensible ways for users to adopt micromobility.
Prediction 1: Subscription-based bikes will get even more popular:
One of the growing categories in this space is subscription-based bikes, with startups like Buzzbike, Swapfiet, Dance, to name a few. You pay a monthly fee to get a bike (e-bike), insurance, and maintenance. They cleverly address two of the key issues people do not want to own a bike: Bike theft and maintenance hassle. Moreover, people are using them much more sensibly, compared to micro-mobility sharing since that is “your bike on lease”.
Prediction 2: Cities/Spaces take bicycle security issue seriously:
Cities need to face the fact that they need to take bicycle theft issue seriously if they really want to encourage people to cycle. In the UK, one bike is stolen every 90 seconds, and 90% of bike crime goes unsolved. Those “petty” crimes are the reason why people are put off from cycling. We are seeing a growing number of cyclehoop bike hangers provided by city councils, which is a good sign. We also see startups like Spokesafe, Oonee, and Mosa trying to address bike security from different approaches.
Prediction 3: New forms of micromobility sharing:
Legacy station bike-sharing schemes are too expensive for the city. Dockless systems create chaos. Is it possible to work on a new form of bicycle/e-scooter sharing that does not cost a fortune for the infrastructure, yet it is designed for responsible behavior similar to “docked” systems?
Opportunity to propose innovative solutions for sustainable transport
It would be short-sighted for the investor community to give up on the entire micromobility category just because the dockless sharing solution isn’t the right one to address the problem. At Mosa, we are excited about this opportunity. We have been thinking about how we can use our IoT technology to bring sustainable transport hubs to communities, addressing not just bicycle security problems but also community bike sharing and on-demand bike repair services.
We see a great opportunity to propose a different approach to address a city's transportation problems. Sustainable transport is the way to go.
Final Thoughts
The decision to ban e-scooter sharing in Paris may mark the end of a chaotic era, but it also opens the door for a new, more responsible approach to micromobility. By focusing on bike and e-scooter ownership and addressing the challenges that come with it, cities like Paris can continue to lead the way in creating sustainable, accessible urban environments for all. This is a great time for innovation to flourish. We cannot wait to see fellow entrepreneurs come together to bring ideas to the market, making it easier for people to choose two-wheeled transportation options and embrace a greener future.