A longitudinal study on the emotional and behavioural impacts of banning e-scooters on public transport

Abstract

In February 2023, e-scooters were banned from entering all public transport services in the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona (RMB). This paper examines the behavioural changes triggered by this policy through the lens of travel satisfaction and adaptive mobility responses. Implemented under the rationale of preserving safety and space conditions aboard public transport vehicles, the policy had notable implications for the satisfaction of intermodal e-scooter travellers. Using a longitudinal design (n = 111), the study reveals a significant decline in overall travel satisfaction among those affected by the ban, with the affective dimension being particularly impacted. Our findings also uncover significant variations linked to sociodemographic factors (e.g., gender, place of residency), as well as to pre-existing travel attitudes and perceptions (e.g., perceived respect from others, attachment to e-scooters, willingness to cycle more). In addition, the study analyses adaptive strategies by contrasting anticipated and revealed post-restriction behaviours, classifying them as either time-saving (i.e., reduced travel time after the restriction) or time-costly (i.e., increased travel time). The analysis reveals a tendency to overestimate the adoption of active modes (e.g., walking, cycling) and to underestimate reliance on private motorized transport, public transport, and e-scooter door-to-door strategies. While time-saving strategies were associated with significant improvements in cognitively related satisfaction, time-costly strategies—particularly among travellers facing spatial or vehicle access constraints—were linked to significant declines in the affective dimension.