Public defence in Spatial Planning and Transportation Engineering, M.Sc. Samira Dibaj

Title of the thesis: Evaluation of e-scooter usage in Helsinki Capital Region: System and user perspectives

Thesis defender: Samira Dibaj
Opponent: Professor Alexandros Nikitas, University of Huddersfield, UK
Custos: Associate Professor Milos Mladenovic,Aalto University School of Engineering, Department of Built Environment

How shared e-scooters are reshaping travel in Helsinki — from the big picture to everyday rider choices.

Shared electric scooters (e-scooters) have become a common sight in cities, offering a new way of getting around. But how are they changing travel patterns, and what do people really think about them?

This doctoral research studied the use of shared e-scooters in the Helsinki Capital Region, looking both at the transport system as a whole and at individual users. The aim was to understand when and where e-scooters are used, which trips they replace, and what kinds of people use or avoid them. While e-scooter research has grown rapidly worldwide, it is unique in a way that this thesis combines both a system-level perspective of how e-scooters affect mobility patterns and a user-level perspective of who chooses (or rejects) them. 

The systematic literature review revealed that, e-scooters are most often used in the middle of the day and in the evenings, especially on weekends and in areas with parks, schools, and good walking and cycling routes. E-scooters most often replace taxi and bus/tram trips. From the user perspective, the research showed that people can be grouped into different categories depending on how often they use e-scooters and their reasons for doing so. Non-users were also divided into groups, from those who dislike e-scooters strongly to those who are simply uninterested. Factors such as age, income, trip purpose, and home location all play a role in whether people choose e-scooters to substitute other modes.

The main result of the study is that e-scooters are not just a recreational option and they are already influencing how people move around cities and what transport modes they choose. This knowledge can be applied in urban and transport planning to balance the opportunities and challenges of shared micromobility, particularly when designing safer, more sustainable, and more integrated transport systems. 

Keywords: electric scooters, modal shift, safety, sustainable urban mobility, shared mobility, rental e-scooters

Thesis available for public display 7 days prior to the defence at Aaltodoc.