And then there were three: GIS-based analysis of the new three-operator-only e-scooter sharing system of Rome, Italy

In recent years, electric scooters (e-scooters) have rapidly spread all over the world, becoming a new major paradigm of micro- mobility. Their success can be mainly attributed to their easiness of riding and parking, providing an agile, cheap and sustainable option for last-mile trips. Following this success, many e-scooter sharing companies started to operate in many cities. However, the rapid diffusion of these sharing services has not only brought evident benefits, but also critical issues: a substantial part of the users has soon shown a tendency to ride and park mindless of road rules, causing safety risks for riders and pedestrians and reducing urban decorum. Consequently, municipalities have introduced bans, fines and stricter regulations. In this work, we study the reformed e-sharing scooter system of Rome, the Italian capital city, following the introduction of new regulations in 2023, after the end of the experimental phase started in 2019. Major changes have been a) reducing the number of operators to only three, b) limiting the size of fleets (decreasing the total number of deployed e-scooter by 40%), c) extending services to outer districts of the city. All the changes were aimed to favour a closer control of the sharing services, safer rides and more well-ordered parking, plus a fairer access to services also in suburbs. In our GIS-based study, we focus on identifying and analyzing the service coverage in this new Rome setting, in terms of the geofences defined by the operators. After having spatially identified the service areas, we analyze their new features, especially in terms of the new fairer distribution over the territory. We also analyze how service areas and geofences have evolved over time, in order to reflect modifications and updates in the regulations passed by the municipality.