Stereotypes and the public acceptability of shared micromobility

Understanding the public's views and acceptability of shared micromobility (SMM) is crucial for uncovering barriers to incorporating SMM into sustainable urban mobility. This research studies stereotypes of SMM and their impacts on SMM's public acceptability. We focus on shared e-scooters and shared bikes/e-bikes in England, the Netherlands, and Sweden. We conceptualise stereotypes of SMM, developing a scale for their measurement. Factor analysis reveals that stereotypes of SMM are structured around two cognitive dimensions, namely, warmth and competence, which aligns with the stereotype content model. Warmth captures individuals' stereotyped SMM user images regarding how the users interact with other road users; competence reflects individuals' stereotyped SMM's capabilities to improve existing transport systems. Overall, stereotypes of SMM, characterised by low levels of warmth and high levels of competence, are ambivalent. Yet, they are also variable. Analysis of covariance unveils variations in SMM stereotypes across countries, sociodemographics, and travel patterns. Swedish residents, older adults, individuals from households without children, SMM users, and car-oriented individuals hold lower levels of warmth (for both types of SMM) and competence (for shared e-scooters) than their counterparts. Finally, the public acceptability of shared e-scooters is neutral, whilst that of shared bikes/e-bikes is mildly positive. Multivariate analyses show that stereotypes' warmth and competence are positively associated with individuals' acceptability of SMM, cumulatively accounting for over 50% of the variation in acceptability. Our findings help inform policies and planning on SMM. The developed scale holds the potential for evaluating stereotypes of SMM in particular and emerging transport services in general.