Groups on the Micromove: Analysis of Emerging E-Scooter Flock-Riding in Helsinki

Shared electric scooters (e-scooters) have caused significant changes in the urban landscape and people’s daily travel choices across Europe. While providing a fast, pleasant, and flexible mobility option for users, there have been some emerging behaviors among their users. Therefore, there is a need to understand specific e-scooter riding behaviors, one of which is group riding. Group riding or flock-riding has been investigated in rather limited previous studies, mostly focusing on the objective and subjective safety aspects. This research examines the scale of this phenomenon, age, and gender distribution among flock-riders, the reasons behind flock-riding while considering its frequency, and the perceptions of both e-scooter users and non-users
regarding this riding behavior. To this aim, a mixed method approach using a video recording observation as well as an online questionnaire survey has been utilized. The results revealed that the scale of flock-riders in Helsinki is considerably higher than in the previous studies. In addition, the majority of group-riders are male teenagers and young adults. Flock-riders engage in this behavior for having fun and as a more flexible option compared to scheduled public transportation. The study highlights the importance of further understanding emerging riding behavior with micromobility vehicles, all in order to develop effective policy actions.