Understanding willingness to use shared electric scooters for first- and last-mile travel in urban cities

Urban mobility faces a persistent challenge of inadequate first- and last-mile connectivity, for which shared electric scooters (e-scooters) offer a flexible and sustainable solution, but evidence of their uptake in car-dominant, highly populated cities is scant. This study examines the potential adoption of shared e-scooters among 517 working professionals commuting for employment purposes in Indian metropolitan cities using a stated choice experiment and a mixed logit model. Two random parameters are found significant in the model: (i) the hire period parameter exhibits positive and negative effects on e-scooter uptake across individuals, and (ii) the price level of Indian Rupees 7 parameter shows a negative effect on e-scooter adoption probability. The non-random parameters indicate that working professionals prefer e-scooters with larger deck sizes, dislike mandatory parking requirements, and oppose lower speeds unless supported by dedicated infrastructures. Findings underscore tailored e-scooter services to user expectations, such as pricing, speed, accessibility, and integration with infrastructure, and provide insights for planners, operators, and policymakers to promote shared e-scooters.