The new article “Are e-scooters a threat to active travel?” published by Jerònia Cubells, Alexandra Bretones and Oriol Roig in the Journal of Healthy Eating and Active Living questions the physical activity associated with traveling by electric scooter.
In this article, we analyze the notion that electric scooters are an alternative to the car, with similar advantages to active means of transport such as walking or cycling. However, we argue that comparing them to “active means” can be misleading, since many users adopt a sedentary posture while riding a scooter, contributing to less active lifestyles. Furthermore, in densely populated cities such as Barcelona, the massive use of scooters may not be the best option to improve community health, because their convenience has reduced the number of people walking. In addition to reducing the physical activity of the users themselves, the speed of scooters in public spaces can generate conflicts and fears of injury for other citizens, such as pedestrians and cyclists, discouraging active transport. Despite this, it is the same convenience and speed of scooters that continue to attract followers, contributing to the satisfaction and well-being of travelers. In short, scooters present a paradox: they are a sedentary and, at the same time, vibrant means of transport. Understanding this duality is essential to exploring the intersection between mobility, well-being and community health.
Photography: Mariona Gil .
