Throttle or Thwart? The effect of local policy regulations on micromobility demand

A Difference-in-Differences approach

Authored by

Zeeshan Asghar, Jan N. Gremmel, Julian Teusch, Christian Koetsier, David M. Woisetschläger, Monika Sester, Jörg P. Müller

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of local micromobility regulations on service demand in German cities. Using robust Difference-in-Differences (DiD) analyses we analyze the impact of two different policy regulations 30 days before and after their implementation. Our findings suggest that fleet size caps significantly reduce total trips without affecting average utilization, while parking zone policies have no measurable impact on either metric. These results highlight the trade-offs between supply-side restrictions and operational rules, offering actionable insights for urban mobility governance. The study underscores the importance of balancing regulatory measures to address public concerns without stifling micromobility’s benefits. Future research could explore long-term impacts, user adaptation, and environmental outcomes to further inform policy design.

Details

Organisation(s)
Institute of Cartography and Geoinformatics
Graduiertenkolleg 2159: Integrität und Kollaboration in dynamischen Sensornetzen
External Organisation(s)
Technische Universität Braunschweig
Clausthal University of Technology (TUC)
Type
Conference article
Journal
Transportation Research Procedia
Volume
95
Pages
329-336
No. of pages
8
ISSN
2352-1457
Publication date
2026
Publication status
Published
Peer reviewed
Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Transportation
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
Electronic version(s)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2026.02.042 (Access: Open )