Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) micro-mobility, (b) shared bike and (c) e-bike schemes on (i) levels of active travel, (ii) air quality and (iii) emissions.

The National E-scooter Evaluation found that by December 2021 rental e-scooter journeys mostly replaced walking journeys (42%), followed by private motor vehicles or taxis (21%). However, the proportion of walking journeys being replaced reduced over time, while the proportion of private motor vehicle or taxi journeys being replaced increased over time.

One of the potential benefits of using an e-scooter instead of driving is that it may reduce emissions and improve air quality. The National E-scooter Evaluation estimated a total reduction of between 269 and 348 tonnes of CO2e (to December 2021) across the five case study areas due to modal shift from cars to rental e-scooters.

The Department has made no assessment on the potential impact of shared bike or e-bike schemes on the levels of active travel, air quality or emissions.