Following a survey conducted last year, a new project is being launched to encourage disabled people to engage with shared micromobility schemes.
The research was commissioned by the Motability Foundation and delivered by the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RiDC) and CoMoUK (Collaborative Mobility UK). It aimed to identify the challenges faced by disabled people using shared micromobility services, and gain an insight into ways in which such schemes could be more inclusive.
The research found that only 10% of the 780 people surveyed had used shared micromobility services. The most common reasons given for a lack of engagement were the inaccessibility of the vehicles and a lack of information on how to locate and book them.
Those who had tried shared micromobility services were significantly more likely to view them positively, with 70% expressing confidence in their use, compared to just 32% of non-users.
53% believed these services could enhance their daily lives, providing access to outdoor activities, a sustainable travel option, and the freedom to travel spontaneously.
Harry Fisher, Innovation Manager at the Motability Foundation, said: ‘This exploratory research has given us valuable insight into disabled people’s views on shared micromobility.
‘We can see there is great potential for these services to provide a sustainable way of travelling for disabled people, but more work is needed to make them truly accessible and safe.’
What was learned in the research has led to this new, year-long project, looking at ways in which people with a range of disabilities can be supported in accessing shared micromobility schemes such as e-scooters and e-bikes.
While some respondents cited vehicle design as a barrier to using shared micromobilty, the project will look at ways in which disabled people can be involved without making any changes to current vehicles.
The issues that the project will attempt to address include a lack of confidence in using micromobilty services, as well as a lack of awareness about how to access them.
CoMoUK will look to partner with micromobility operators, local authorities, and community groups which specialise in active travel engagement.
Disabled people will be invited to take part in activities aimed at familiarising them with products such as e-bikes and e-scooters. They will be offered road confidence training sessions, support with first bookings and buddy rides.
At the end of the scheme, the various initiatives will be evaluated, with successful ones potentially being scaled up.
Richard Dilks, chief executive of CoMoUK, said: ‘This is a really important project, which will directly address some of the barriers facing disabled people who want to use shared micromobility services in their area.
‘Our research shows that inaccessible vehicle designs are not the only issue, but a lack of awareness and confidence when it comes to using shared e-scooters and e-bikes too.
‘These are things we can start to tackle right away through practical actions, and we hope that the project will ultimately help to increase shared micromobility use by disabled people.
‘We know that such schemes have the potential to be transformative, improving people’s health, cutting road congestion and air pollution, and freeing up space in cities.
‘It is crucial that nobody is left behind as the UK embraces these sustainable forms of transport.’
Harry Fisher, innovation manager at the Motability Foundation, said: ‘We’re really excited to have awarded grant funding to CoMoUK to deliver this important project.
‘The recent research that we commissioned on accessible micromobility found that over half of disabled people think these services have the potential to improve their lives, but very few have used them or are aware of how to access them.
‘We hope that through this project we can support disabled people to access this fast-growing transport mode.’