As with the UK, people in India will be divided on the subject of e-scooters. But there may be an extra concern in some communities that goes beyond safety: that of perceived status. “In the UK, walking short distances rather than driving is considered good practice; but in India walking is sometimes thought of as what only poor people do,” Yasir explains. “Some people buying milk might drive their vehicle to the shop, even if it’s only 50 metres away. I want to see whether this issue of status extends to people’s perceptions about electric micro-mobility.”
If negative perceptions persist, Yasir is keen to see whether more people could be persuaded that choosing to scoot rather than drive a car is not a sign of their financial or social standing; rather that it demonstrates environmental awareness, and that collective transport choices made now could have an impact on future generations.
After first understanding the psychological obstacles to e-scooter use, Yasir is keen to consider the impact that infrastructure – such as dedicated scooter lanes or the location of docking stations – might have on usage, as well as the wearing of protective helmets (popular in some parts of the world, but not the UK). Above all, if a service was launched, how many people would use it?
“To start with, the focus of my research will be office workers, who tend to use public transport if they are in a big city, or cars if they are in a town; asking them to complete surveys and be interviewed. I also want to show that micro-mobility can be effective to go between your home and the train station.”
Yasir also hopes to explore whether there is potential for the UK to export expertise around electric micro-mobility to India.