Estimating Travel Demand with a Multimodal Transport Model Including E-Scooters in Iași, Romania

Cities, even medium-sized and small ones, have become overwhelmed by traffic and congestion. Innovative solutions are required and recent studies have focused on sustainable approaches. This study aims to develop a multimodal transport model consisting of an urban public transportation (UPT) service combined with an e-scooter sharing service. The main purpose of the model is a comparison between two travel alternatives (car and UPT + e-scooter), calculating their associated levels of utility. The methodology is based on a multinomial logit model, implemented in Matlab software, using results from an online mobility survey (socio-economic characteristics of potential users of e-scooters). The additional aim is related to the assessment of the inhabitants’ availability to shift from car to multimodal service or to simple e-scooter service. The developed micromodel was applied in Iași, a mid-sized city located in the northeast of Romania. Several price strategies were analysed in order to find their influence on users’ mobility behaviour. It turned out that the price for the shared e-scooter is too high at this moment to be used for daily travel. Without a price decrease and public authorities’ involvement in facilitating the multimodality, the e-scooter remains only an entertainment activity.