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E-scooters, also known as electric scooters or powered two-wheelers (PTWs), are currently the fastest-growing form of micro-mobility (Tuncer and Brown, 2020; Maiti et al., 2019). Whilst the technology has existed for about a century, modern e-scooters have seen a wave of popularity over the last few years, in many cities they have sparked something akin to an urban personal mobility revolution, particularly in parts of China, the US (United States), and across Europe (Hardt and Bogenberger, 2019; Christoforou et al., 2021). They are now a common sight on city streets, and have swiftly captured a broad user base. Despite their popularity and use, e-scooters raise a number of challenges for policymakers and transport providers, as well as being a divisive new mode on the streets of urban spaces. Reports of conflict and tension around e-scooters' safety for both riders and other road/path users are increasingly common, along with questions over what types of trips scooters are actually substituting, however these remain largely confined to media articles and reports, with few academic studies into user and non-user experiences (Gössling, 2020; Tuncer and Brown, 2020).&amp;nbsp;This paper reports on research into a UK (United Kingdom) e-scooter trial in the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), managed by Voi scooters (Travel West, 2021; West of England Combined Authority, 2021). The trial was launched in Bristol and the West of England in autumn 2020 (Travel West, 2021). The research collected both quantitative and qualitative data from 179 participants, sampled from university staff and students. The primary focus of this paper’s analysis is on participants’ qualitative “scooter stories” – accounts of people’s perceptions and experiences of being a user or non-user of the public scooter scheme – which provide important insights into the benefits of public schemes, whilst also illuminating the substantial tensions that e-scooters can create between users and non-users. Alongside analysis of the scooter stories, the quantitative data provides broader insight into the scooters’ use, and demographic patterns.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;The results identify a divide between users and non-users, with positive and negative perceptions often clearly demarcated by e-scooter experience (or inexperience). The findings show that on the positive side, e-scooters represent an incredibly useful, affordable, and often enjoyable form of personal transport for users, and have broadened people’s mobility options. E-scooters provide a viable alternative to some urban car trips and can be linked to active travel (albeit not strictly being an “active” mode themselves). However, e-scooters are often a source of conflict between users of urban space, particularly other road and foot/cycle path users. People's scooter stories illuminate a wide range of issues related to their use, including legality, safety of scooter riders, safety of other people, impacts on pavement and road space, intoxicated riding, and more. We also report evidence that whilst scooters are sometimes replacing trips that would have previously been made by private car, they are more often substituting for walking or cycling trips, which is a challenging finding from a health and sustainability perspective. The paper presents a discussion of these tensions and issues, considering the findings in the context of sustainable urban mobility policy. We make recommendations for policymakers and other stakeholders seeking to mitigate the impacts of e-scooters and harness the sustainable mobility benefits of this popular new mode.&amp;nbsp;

Scooter Stories: User and Non-User Experiences of a Shared E-Scooter Trial