What Role Does IT Play in Micromobility Industry?

 The entire concept of micromobility is enabled by IT technologies, including mobile phones, mobile and desktop apps, digital payment platforms and telematics solutions. Micromobility involves sharing two-wheelers (gasoline/petrol and electric) for short-distance transportation, with the bookings and payments being almost exclusively facilitated by mobile apps and websites of the service provider.

How IT Facilitates Micromobility Ride Booking?

To book a ride, the user needs to either download the service provider’s mobile app or visit its website. There, you enter all the trip details, including the destination and origin, the vehicle type (bicycles, kick scooters, and scooters) and preferred journey time and then, make the payment. Following this, you get the pickup spot on the mobile app or your account on the service provider’s website for both station-based and dockless micromobility systems and a code to unlock the vehicle. Then, you reach the spot, put in the code into the vehicle’s dial pad, and you are ready to ride!

What Benefits IT Provides to Micromobility Service Providers?

While IT technologies allow people to book and pay for the rides, they enable a whole lot more for the service providers. When it comes to micromobility companies, the digital technologies available to them are grouped under ‘telematics’. By studying the data fed to the central company system from the small computer onboard the vehicle, service providers can take a stock of their fleet utilization, including the number of vehicles in use at a time, the most-popular routes and journey times, and average kilometers/miles ridden per day, week, or month.

Such a usage analysis further allows companies to know the best times for the utilization of their services, so that trip fares can be elevated or reduced accordingly. During periods of low utilization, companies may want to substantially reduce the fares or provide an offer to lure customers. Similarly, during times when the demand for the services is high, companies could employ dynamic pricing (the higher the demand, the higher the rates).

The telematics solutions also pair users’ smartphone app with the onboard computer, ensuring that only the particular vehicle the user has received the unlock code for can be unlocked using it. Moreover, companies can see the charge remaining in the battery or fuel in the tank, to know when it is time to recharge or take the vehicle to a petrol pump (gas station). Similarly, the health of onboard systems, such as the motor or engine, tire pressure, the computer, GPS/telecommunications module, ADAS, headlights and taillights, battery management system, and AC–DC/DC–DC converter can be monitored, thus allowing for predictive maintenance.

Moreover, the GPS allows companies to track the location of the two-wheeler in case it goes missing or breaks down or if the user presses the panic button, thus prompting a search & rescue operation by the service provider or the authorities. Advanced telematics systems might also offer vehicle-to-pedestrian, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure connectivity, thus making the journey more enjoyable for the rider and fleet management easier for the service provider.

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Surging Road Congestion Driving Indonesian Micromobility Market

The Indonesian micromobility market revenue stood at $1.1 million in 2020, and it is expected to rise to $19,888.5 million by 2030. Furthermore, the market will register an explosive CAGR of 116.1% from 2021 to 2030 (forecast period), as per the estimates of the market research company, P&S Intelligence. The market is being driven by the burgeoning requirement for mitigating urban road traffic congestion, growing need for first- and last-mile connectivity, and the convenience and low cost of micromobility services. 

Indonesia Micromobility Market - P&S Intelligence 

With the mushrooming population, the number of vehicles running on Indonesia’s roads is surging, which is leading to road congestion, especially in urban areas. This is subsequently pushing up the demand for mobility solutions that reduce road congestion. As the vehicles included under micromobility are compact, need less space on roads, and can be parked easily, their demand is surging, on account of the rising road congestion in urban areas. Besides, micromobility is also providing a convenient and cost-effective method of traveling. 

The players operating in the Indonesian micromobility market are focusing on facility expansions to expand their customer pool and strengthen their position in the industry. For example, PT. Surya Teknologi Perkasa, which is a subsidiary of the digital distribution firm, PT M Cash Integrasi Tbk, announced the expansion of its e-bike and bike sharing services, namely, GOWES, in January 2020. The company deploys its fleet at seven parking points all over the BINUS campus in Indonesia. 

Hence, it can be safely said that the market will grow substantially in the coming years, primarily because of the rising requirement for better first- and last-mile connectivity and the surging road congestion in urban areas in the country. 

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Micromobility Market Predicted to Generate $9.8 Billion in 2025

Micromobility is rapidly becoming one of the most viable options for people who need to cover short distances, five miles or less, quickly. The utilization of light duty vehicles, such as kick scooters, scooters (electric and conventional scooters), and bikes (electric and pedal bikes), come under this mode of transportation. The rapidly surging road congestion is one of the prime factors which are resulting in the growing demand for micromobility across the world. Urbanization, rising middle-class population, and growing affordability have led to an increased number of vehicles on the road. It is in order to take care of these problems that several countries are looking for alternative ways of traveling.

Attributed to all these factors, the global micromobility market is expected to reach $9.8 billion in 2025, from $3.0 billion in 2018, advancing at a 19.9% CAGR during the forecast period (2019–2025), as per a research conducted by P&S Intelligence. Kick scooter sharing, bike sharing, and scooter sharing are the three service types provided by micromobility. Out of these, the largest demand is projected to be created for bike sharing during the forecast period because of the extensive usage of these services in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, particularly in China. The fastest growth in demand is predicted to be registered by kick scooter sharing in the coming years.

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One of the key factors which is leading to the rising requirement for bike sharing services is that it is an economical mobility option. The commuting cost associated with bike sharing services is quite low, with an initial fixed fee for unlocking the bike and $0.15 per 30 minutes of travel on an average, which is much less than that of other public shared mobility services. While e-bike sharing costs more than pedal bike sharing, shared e-bikes are more economical than other modes of shared transport services. Due to these factors, various companies have started providing subscription-based bike sharing services on monthly, weekly, or daily basis, which is expected to make commuting more economical for regular users.

Furthermore, the demand for kick scooter sharing services is growing due to the rising popularity of kick scooters as a fun and recreational traveling option. The primary consumer base for kick scooter sharing services has been observed to be the millennial group (average age between 20 and 35 years). These users consider kick scooter sharing as an enjoyable and fun option for commuting. In addition to this, a significant number of solo travelers find these services useful for sightseeing and exploring new places. It is due to these factors that the popularity of kick scooter sharing is gaining traction.

Out of all the regions, namely Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Africa (LAMEA), North America, and APAC, the APAC region is projected to account for the major share of the micromobility market in the coming years. The primary reason for this is the presence of major players in region, such as Ofo, Mobike, and Hellobike. Furthermore, these services are cheaper than all the other shared mobility services that make them an attractive option for people who need economical services. During the forecast period, the fastest growth in demand for micromobility is projected to be witnessed by the LAMEA region.  

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