Micro-mobility solutions can help boost smart and sustainable mobility in cities

April 2021 


Creating a sustainable transport ecosystem by reshaping urban mobility along with the cities in which e-scooters operate is at the core of Micro-mobility for Europe’s objectives. Recent studies have shown that micro-mobility has the potential to deliver significant benefits in cities including efficient and cost-effective travel, reduced traffic congestion, decreased emissions, and a boost to local economies.

On April 27th2021, Micro-Mobility for Europe met with Pedro Homem de Gouveia, Senior Policy and Project Manager, Governance & Integration, Safety & Security at POLIS Network.

The meeting was an important occasion for the coalition to share views on how micro-mobility solutions can make a valuable contribution to develop innovative technologies and policies to promote sustainable mobility across cities. The main points of discussions focused on:

  • How to accelerate the shift towards sustainable and urban mobility which is key for the success of the industry and should be prioritized among all policy efforts.
  • Having a consolidated system thinking approach which looks at ways to positively transform urban mobility by allowing a proper integration of micro-mobility solutions into the existing local transport system and build capillarity to serve transit along corridors
  • The need to push for financial support from municipalities and the EU to develop and integrate a solid infrastructure system which is the way to make micro-mobility industry to smoothly flourish in cities.
  • The importance of pushing for a data share harmonization among cities, enabling local authorities to profit from data our industry generates which alleviate the challenges faced by their residents (congestion, pollution, road quality and safety, as well as better environmental protection).

Further Information:

POLIS is the leading network of European cities and regions working together to promote sustainable mobility through the deployment of innovative transport solutions. Their aim is to improve local transport through integrated strategies that address the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of transport.

Micro-mobility is an important contributor to the EU’s sustainable and smart mobility strategy

March 2021 


Congestion, air and noise pollution are serious challenges affecting cities and urban environments, as well as the people living and working there. Micro-mobility solutions and e-scooters can help alleviate such pressures on urban transport networks, boost sustainable mobility in cities, and contribute to improved air quality.

On March 10th 2021, Micro-Mobility for Europe attended a parliamentary hearing organised by MEP Ismail Ertug (S&D, DE), rapporteur for the TRAN Committee own-initiative report on the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (SSMS).

This meeting was an important opportunity to position Micro-Mobility for Europe as a key player in the sustainable and smart mobility space, raising the contribution of the industry to cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable urban transport system. The coalition shared views on a range of topics which included:

  • How micro-mobility solutions and e-scooters can help alleviate pressure on urban transport networks and help cities redesign and rethink their usage of space by offering alternatives to car ownership and use.
  • The recognition of the need to develop a framework that ensures micro-mobility solutions flourish in cities and deliver on their potential for emission-free transportation.
  • The benefits provided by the data generated by operators and providers of micro-mobility solutions. These valuable data can help cities better understand traffic flows or provide useful insights into traffic bottlenecks and help future infrastructure planning. Best practices should be developed in the field of data collection, data sharing and data governance to further leverage the potential of these new data generated by micro-mobility solutions.

Concluding the hearing, MEP Ertug noted several recurrent issues and topics put forward by participants, including the need to pursue an emissions reduction agenda, the importance of infrastructure expansion for electric and hydrogen mobility through the revision of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive (AFID), the need to promote micro-mobility solutions and the growing importance of digital solutions within the transport sector.

Further information:

Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy

Published in December 2020, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy lays out the long-term vision for Europe’s mobility system and identifies policy tools and 82 actions to guide the European Commission in making all transport modes more sustainable, bolstering their resilience and inducing digitalisation.

European Parliament INI report

The European Parliament is currently preparing a non-legislative response to the SSMS. This response will outline the European Parliament’s perspective on the long-term decarbonisation of transport and give concrete feedback on the specific legislative actions outlined in the SSMS. The draft report from MEP Ertug is available here.

E-scooter operators launch new EU association

E-scooter-operators-launch-new-EU-association-Image

February 2021 


New micro-mobility coalition launches, creating one voice for providers of shared micro-mobility solutions to transform urban mobility in Europe

Brussels – 2 February 2021 – E-scooter operators have come together to form a new coalition, Micro-Mobility for Europe (MMfE), which launches officially today. Comprised of eight founding members1, the coalition aims to contribute to the development of a coherent policy framework in Europe that will ensure micro-mobility solutions flourish in European cities and support the rapid transition to zero-emission urban mobility.

At the forefront of the digital and transportation revolutions , members of MMfE work to address issues like congestion and the tailpipe emissions associated with urban travel, together with the cities in which they operate, to ultimately transform urban mobility. For Europe to meet its ambitious emissions targets, more will need to be done at a sustained pace. “Micro-mobility has revolutionised urban mobility and established itself as an essential alternative to personal car ownership and use ” said Catriona Meehan, Co-Chair of the coalition and representative of Wind. “The coalition is a key milestone in working together as one industry towards a healthier, more sustainable and less congested future for European cities”.

Members of MMfE operate in over 20 EU countries across more than 100 European cities. More and more local authorities are working to integrate micro-mobility into their transportation ecosystem. The data generated by micro-mobility providers helps cities to better understand, regulate, and plan for traffic flows, use of public infrastructure and space as well as necessary changes to improve road safety and mobility services in line with future mobility needs. “As the large majority of public space is dedicated to (car) infrastructure we need to rethink how public space in cities is used, and we look forward to contributing to this important discussion”, explained Alexander Jung, Co-Chair of Micro-Mobility for Europe and representative of Bird.

The launch of this coalition addresses a gap in the representation of the industry in the transport and mobility policy discussions, and will provide the views, expertise and experience of the shared micro- mobility industry. MMfE have identified urban mobility, data governance and circular economy as their top priorities to ensure that shared micro -mobility is an integral part of EU policy developments in the coming years. Following the publication of the EU’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and given the changes in mobility the pandemic has triggered, Micro-Mobility for Europe is eager to engage with the Commission and EU policy makers to contribute to Europe’s recovery efforts as well as the green and digital transitions.

Press contact:
Micro-Mobility for Europe Secretariat
Stéphanie Brochard
info@micromobilityforeurope.eu

1 Bird, Bolt, Dott, FreeNow, Lime, TIER, Voi, and Wind.