Some 69% of last-mile car journeys in Manchester could be completed faster by using e-scooters and bikes, a new report has revealed.
Researchers from traffic analytics firm Inrix analysed trillions of sources of data from connected devices such as cars, mobile phones and road sensors to determine patterns and trends.
With an average speed of 19km/h (12mph), e-scooters and bikes were found to complete last-mile journeys quicker than motor vehicles in four UK cities – Manchester, Glasgow, London and Sheffield – where drivers spent an average of 178 hours in traffic.
“Cities should really start looking at micro-mobility modes as a legitimate means to move people around their city, and not just as a novelty,” said Trevor Reed, a transportation analyst at Inrix and author of the report. “At present though, legislation and public education does not do enough to encourage this.”
It is currently illegal to ride e-scooters on roads and pavements in the UK, though enforcement has only been stepped up recently following the death of a London e-scooter rider in July – the first known fatality in the UK.
The report also found that UK cities have a much higher proportion of short-distance vehicle trips compared to those in the US, which is attributable to higher density levels stateside.
