Recently with developed countries at the center, a new traffic paradigm based on public transportation called Maas has been tried in various ways. Maas is an abbreviation for ‘Mobility as a service.’ There are many vehicles, and among them, smart mobilities such as public bicycles, electric bicycles and electric kickboards are used as various means in Maas. Most of the shared mobility service is very popular in the downtown area, where daily population movement is active. In Korea, even though the population is less but there are some cities that have high population density, which makes Korea also another competitive market in this business. Companies with unique public mobility platform provide convenient transportation that is eco-friendly and that can use easily. Moreover, based on solid big-data and AI technology, products from Korea have been aiming the development of the overseas market through self-driving. When the land isn’t wide enough but has a high figure of population density at the same time, it is inefficient to walk short distances like 1 to 4km for example. But, on this occasion use of mobility could be very useful. These days, people are moving short distances by utilizing public mobility.
This is a method to rent vehicles. First, download the mobility application on your phone. Next, by following to app’s guide, users must register their credit card and driver’s license. After registering process user will search for the location that has the mobility that the user wants and use it by scanning a QR code or barcode on its phone. When a user finish using user must place mobility nearby and sign up for a return. To return users must apply photo in app so, app can indicate the location of the used mobility. When the app confirms payment of usage will be made immediately. Thus, locations of returning points shown through the application map, and if the user parked mobility outside the service area, there would be collecting fees required. Moreover, there is a speed limitation on mobilities. It limits 20km/h for safety reasons. The biggest advantage of this service is it can be simply used, and key customers’ ages are 20s and 30s.
Mobility services are focused on a young generation so, mobilities are mainly placed in places such as, universities, colleges, bus terminals and stations. Furthermore, it has been used by office workers who live close to their work and homemakers as simple transportation. As a result, companies are pushing ahead with business marketing method of targeting a densely populated cities and attaching promotional photos at bus stations and walls.
As the public mobility market has risen in domestic suddenly, problems are also increasing. The biggest drawback is the user’s consciousness. At current moment electric bicycle and electric kickboard that has throttle valve require a driver’s license or motor license. In the early days of service use, registering related license was needed but, it is easy to see teenagers who don’t have driver’s license are riding mobilities. Compared to the size of the body, mobility is small, and its size is meant for one person. Unfortunately, unqualified teenagers have been riding mobility and two people would ride when there is only space for one person. As a result, it causes lots of various accidents. Cases such as teenagers registering their parent’s license they stole or parents who think teenagers using mobility is not a big deal register license instead, their young children need alertness. Also, last year even though wearing a safety helmet was legally mandated, there were lots of users who don’t obey the law. Electric scooters are classified as motor vehicles to the following road traffic law still, there are many users ride them on the sidewalk instead of the road. Scooters have a limitation on speeding up to 25km legally, but this creates conflicts with the road since there’s a huge speed gap between cars. Compared to speed of cars a speed limitation of scooters on the road cause asymmetry, which could threaten the user’s safety. Therefore, considering scooters’ speed limitations and safety of users there should be institutional changes like using scooters on the bicycle road, for example.
The cause of the problem is from government’s cognition of personal mobility. There are local governments that don’t even realize an electric scooter is a ride, and some district thinks of electric scooter as a solid object while other community thinks as motor.
Yet the situation of the user’s cognition of electric scooter and bicycles aren’t clear. Government should make active cooperation and institutional approach because it could affect the safety of other citizens. Therefore, there should be a clear distinction. Government should make strategies that could change social awareness. Techniques like using their social media to advertise the safety of electric scooters and letting users understand scooters is a transportation like bicycles, more than just a motor. Like wisely, due to the user’s low level of consciousness about engine and improper system, threatening factors do exist. But on the other hand, despite the fact there are certain problems and weaknesses in mobility services, the mobility market is rising. As following amendment laws of regulations, the number of users has increased. Also, the bright sides, like gaining aggressive alliances and investments secured competitiveness or improving awareness through growing trends, was shown. Moreover, I have thought of a strategic proposal to suggest. Expanding areas of providing service, activating other sluggish mobility, entering the overseas market, persuading the government to allow personal mobility on bicycle roads and providing a suitable institutional mechanism for user’s low awareness are the proposals I have thought. Hope mobility services supplement their matter for bigger success.
