Spatiotemporal analysis of the integration between shared escooters and public transport: Case studies in Oslo and Stockholm

Abstract

This thesis explores the patterns of shared e-scooter usage in the cities of Oslo and Stockholm, with a focus on understanding how these trips relate to public transport services. While e-scooter usage has soared during the last decade, policy makers, urban and transportation planners attempt to understand this new phenomenon and its effect to public transport.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools were used to map trips and detect areas of high activity. To assess how e-scooters interact with public transport, trips were grouped based on their distance from transit stops, using buffer zones to classify them as complementary, competitive or directly competitive. In addition, land use data were compared with all the e-scooter trip types to understand the relationship between e-scooters and the types of land use.
By analysing millions of unique e-scooter trip data, the study reveals e-scooter usage patterns in spatial and temporal dimension. Noon and rush hour weekday mornings have been found as the busiest for e-scooter traffic in both cities, while weekends are less busy. Usage gradually declines with increasing distance from the centre, with some exceptions, while there is a notable increase in usage around major transportation hubs.
Analysis of e-scooter trips and comparison with the public transportation system revealed that the spatial distribution of e-scooter trip types is highly sensitive to the selected buffer distance. Overall, the results suggest that shared e-scooters are primarily used for short, flexible trips within central areas, and they can potentially serve as a complementary or competing mode to public transport. Furthermore, it can be concluded that land use alone does not play a major role in the type of e-scooter trips and more research is needed towards that section. Future research could potentially combine a questionnaire-based survey with geospatial analysis, include real time public transportation data and examine more sociodemographic variables for more accurate results.

Popular Abstract

In recent years, shared e-scooters have become a common sight in cities across the world. As their popularity grows, so do the questions around how they fit into the broader urban transport system especially in relation to public transport. This study takes a closer look at how e-scooters are used in Oslo and Stockholm, aiming to understand when, where, and why people use them, and whether these trips replace or support travel by bus, tram, or train. To explore this, location-based data from millions of individual e-scooter trips have been used. With the help of geospatial tools, it was examined how trip patterns vary by time of day and location, and how close e-scooter rides start or end near public transport stops.
The results show that e-scooter use is highest in city centers, especially during weekday rush hours. Fewer trips take place on weekends, and activity drops the farther you go from the city core — except around major transport hubs, where usage increases. These patterns suggest that e-scooters are often used for short, flexible trips, particularly in central areas where other transport options are already available.
By comparing e-scooter trip locations to nearby public transport stops, the study categorized trips as complementary, competitive, or unrelated. When using a larger buffer distance most trips in both cities were classified as competitive, meaning they likely replace short public transport trips. However, with a smaller buffer, more trips appeared unrelated. This highlights that in both Oslo and Stockholm, e-scooters frequently overlap with public transport routes, but their role can shift depending on how access to transit is defined.
Finally, the study also looked at land use, such as residential or commercial areas, to see if it affects trip patterns. While residential zones saw the most trips, there was no strong link between land use type and how the e-scooter was used. This suggests that other factors, may play a bigger role. Overall, this research helps city planners understand how shared mobility fits into the wider transport system and points to the need for further studies that include more data on users and real-time public transport.

• author: Fylakis, Georgios
• supervisor: Pengxiang Zhao
• organization: Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
• course: GISM01 20251
• year: 2025
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Earth and Environmental Sciences
• keywords: GIS, e-scooter, micromobility, data analysis, transportation
• publication/series: Master Thesis in Geographic Information Science
• report number: 196
• language: English
• id: 9210533
• date added to LUP: 2025-08-22 15:29:50
• date last changed: 2025-08-22 15:29:50