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Why Shared Micromobility Will Survive Post-Pandemic
It’s No Riskier Than Your Grocery Cart
When the stay at home orders are lifted and we get back to work, will we interact with the world differently? How will we use various transportation modes? Some have suggested that shared micromobility, buses and other shared modes (like carshare and rideshare) will be shunned due to fear of germs. It seems that anything with the word “shared” has a new dark cloud over it — from Airbnb rentals to scooters. But we need to parse the health risks more closely to see why not all shared modes are the same. In fact, the health risk of using shared micromobility vehicles, such as kick scooters and bikes, can easily be mitigated. For that reason, shared micromobility will continue to be one of the best options for getting around cities.
Today, we think about the risk of coronavirus infection in two ways: (1) germs on surfaces and (2) germs in the air. We have learned that the virus might live on surfaces for days, depending on the material — but that we can reduce that risk by using disinfectant wipes and wearing gloves. And we have learned that we can avoid germs in the air by staying six feet away from others, wearing masks, and avoiding confined spaces.
How do these lessons apply to shared micromobility? First, we can see that the only risk for…
