This week's top 3 stories: The decline of dockless bikes in the UK, electric scooters debated in Dublin, and Germany's ride-hailing proposals clarified.
1. Mapping the decline of dockless bike sharing in the UK
Oliver O’Brien, an academic at University College London's Consumer Data Research Centre, has published figures and maps to illustrate the decline of dockless bike sharing operations in the UK. At their peak in July 2018 the four major operators covered an area of 617 sq km. Of those four, only Mobike continues to operate, and its operating areas have shrunk to a total of around 37 sq km. The study did not include smaller operators such as Yobike, which operates a smaller dockless scheme in Bristol and Southampton.
2. Electric scooters in Dublin are being discussed by the Council and Parliament
Assistant Chief Executive of Dublin City Council Dick Brady has said that electric scooters with power of more than 250 watts or with a maximum speed of more than 25km per hour should be taxed and insured similar to low-powered motorbikes. While this would not cover most of the shared scooters introduced elsewhere in Europe, the various companies are competing heavily and bringing out new models with great fanfare; how long will it be before they start competing on power/speed? In the meantime, in the Irish Parliament, Noel Rock TD is introducing a Bill to amend the law and exempt electric scooters from falling under these rules. While this proposed law is unlikely to pass into statute, the Irish Government has commissioned the Road Safety Authority to carry out research into how electric scooters are regulated in other countries.
3. Germany's Transport Minister clarifies new proposals on ride-hailing
German Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer has issued some clarifications to last week's announcement of forthcoming reforms to Germany's transport law. Specifically, Scheuer stated that the new regulations will not require ride-hailing vehicles to return to their headquarters following the completion of each trip, allowing vehicles to roam in search of new business.
This is a weekly note from Inline Policy's Mobility Policy and Regulation Team, it covers the top three developments in the regulation of on-demand transport in Europe. It covers taxis, ride-sharing, car sharing, carpooling, bikes, e-bikes, scooters, shared mopeds and anything else that's relevant to the sector. If you'd like to receive this direct to your inbox then please enter your email address below:
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