# Helmet (Health impact of e-bikes and e-scooters) study: Data collection methods and information gathered for the evaluation of the introduction of share hire schemes

## TL;DR

This study collected data on e-bike and e-scooter usage before and after introducing share-hire schemes in several UK cities to evaluate their impact on travel and health.

## Contribution

The study provides baseline and follow-up data on public attitudes and usage patterns of e-bike and e-scooter share-hire schemes in multiple UK cities.

## Key findings

- Most participants had never used e-bikes or e-scooters, with personal ownership being more common than share-hire schemes for e-bikes.
- E-scooter usage was predominantly via share-hire schemes, with leisure and work as common destinations.
- Interviewees generally supported e-bike schemes but had reservations about e-scooters.

## Abstract

This study aimed to collect information on e-bike and e-scooter use in areas with and without e-bike (EB) and e-bike plus e-scooter (EB+ES) combined share-hire schemes.

This study employed a repeated cross-sectional design. An online survey asking questions about demographics, travel, and health was completed by people in August and September 2023 before the schemes were launched in Bristol (EB+ES) and Leeds (EB), with Bradford and Sheffield as control sites. A resurvey was conducted at the same sites one year later, but also in Bath (EB+ES) and Plymouth (EB). We also interviewed eight e-bike and e-scooter users and non-users in Bristol (n=4) and Leeds (n=4).

Following data cleaning, 3771 remained in the baseline sample and 5370 remained in the resurvey sample. The majority of participants reported having never used an e-bike (baseline: 61%; resurvey: 69%) or e-scooter (baseline: 77%; resurvey: 84%). At baseline, the most common e-bike access route was the use of their own e-bike (45%), with access via a share-hire scheme lower at 25%. In the resurvey sample, access levels were similar via a share-hire scheme (38%) and personal e-bikes (36%). The most common e-scooter access route was a share-hire scheme (baseline: 60%; resurvey: 74%). The most common weekly e-bike and e-scooter destinations were leisure/leisure venues, followed by work/education and shopping/errands.

Half said they would not use an e-bike scheme and 63% indicated they would not use an e-scooter scheme. Potential users were willing to walk ~500 m to access an e-bike/e-scooter.

Interviewees generally supported share-hire schemes, seeing them as a good addition to the wider transport offer, but with more support for e-bikes and reservations around e-scooters.

These data will be important for a later evaluation of EB and EB+ES share-hire schemes on public health, social, economic, and environmental factors.

Physical activity is important for health. Walking or cycling is one way to be physically active. E-bikes are pedal bikes that have battery-powered electric motors. This makes cycling easier while maintaining some physical activity. E-bikes could be an option to increase physical activity. E-scooters run on electric motors, meaning that you do not have to push them. E-scooters may decrease physical activity if they are used instead of walking or cycling.

During the autumn of 2023, Bristol added e-bikes to their e-scooter share-hire scheme. In contrast, Leeds introduced an e-bike only share-hire scheme. Bradford and Sheffield did not use these share-hire schemes. We used a survey to collect information prior to the launch of the schemes. It asked people about themselves and how they travelled between places. One year later, we sent a resurvey to people at the same sites but also to people in Bath and Plymouth. We also interviewed e-bike and e-scooter users and non-users in Bristol and Leeds.

Most had never used an e-bike or e-scooter. Almost half of those who had used an e-bike before said that they used their own e-bike. One year later, a similar number of people said they had used a share-hire scheme (38%) or their own e-bike (36%). Most people who had previously used an e-scooter said it was via a share-hire scheme. People use e-bikes and e-scooters to access leisure, work, education, shopping, and errands. Half said that they would not use an e-bike share-hire scheme and 63% said they would not use an e-scooter share-hire scheme. Interviewees were generally in favour of e-bike and e-scooter share-hire schemes. They showed greater support for e-bikes and had concerns about e-scooters.

We will use the collected data to understand the advantages and disadvantages of these types of schemes in more detail.