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Calls for more micro-mobility parking spaces in Europe

Posted: 8 May 2023 | | No comments yet

In a survey of 2,431 inhabitants from cities in Germany, Portugal and Norway, over half are supportive of replacing car parking spaces with micro-mobility parking areas.

Calls for more micro-mobility parking spaces in Europe

Credit: Bolt

More than half of Germans, Portugueses, and Norwegians living in cities would prefer to see more space devoted to micro-mobility parking (scooters and e-bikes) rather than car parking, according to a new survey by Institut français d’opinion publique (IFOP) commissioned by Bolt. 

According to the survey, 67% of people living in Portuguese cities (Porto, Lisbon and Vila Nova de Gaia) are supportive of replacing car parking spaces with micro-mobility parking areas, while 42% of those living in German cities (including Berlin, Munich and Dusseldorf) and 44% in Norwegian ones (Oslo and Bergen) would also like to see this happen.

“Currently private cars occupy a lot of public space,” commented Dmitri Pivovarov, VP for Rentals at Bolt. “On average, private cars do less than two trips a day and stay idle 95% of the time. On the other hand, a shared scooter can be utilised by numerous riders every day. Better micro-mobility infrastructure translates to more people shifting away from private cars, which helps cities become less polluted, congested and noisy.”

According to the study, people living in European cities have seen an improvement in the way scooters are parked over the last two years. Better parking habits were noticed by 57% of people living in Norwegian cities and 26% of those living in Portugal. 

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The survey also showed that a lack of knowledge of how to park a scooter properly by users is the main cause of the scooter parking problem (52% – Germany, 59% – Portugal, 55% – Norway), with the second most frequently mentioned issue is unclear parking rules (42% – Norway, 38% – Germany, 28% – Portugal). Lack of proper parking space for micro-mobility is the third most important reason according to the respondents (Germany – 31%, Norway – 27%, Portugal – 18%).

“At Bolt, we use our in-house developed technologies to educate our customers on scooter parking rules and make parking easier for them,” continues Pivovarov. “We introduced an AI parking feature, which simplifies the process of parked scooter photo verification. If a customer fails to park correctly, our system instantly detects it and sends in-app educational materials to help improve parking habits.”

Bolt’s AI parking feature has proved to be highly efficient in improving customer parking habits with riders in Oslo 30% less likely to park incorrectly again 30 days after receiving AI parking notification and educational materials for the first time. 

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