Across Russia’s largest cities, rental electric scooters are increasingly seen as a practical addition to public transportation. New data from ROMIR shows a clear shift toward shared mobility for daily commutes and errands, reflecting a broader embrace of flexible transit options.
A nationwide ROMIR online survey reveals that half of residents in big cities now use a shared scooter service. The pattern is consistent: many riders opt for scooters during peak traffic times in the morning and evening when congestion slows other forms of transport.
ROMIR also notes a rise in overall trips on rental scooters. In 2023, three quarters of Kicksharing users reported renting a scooter at least once a week, underscoring the growing role of scooters in regular mobility. This trend aligns with evolving urban travel needs and adds a dependable layer to daily routines.
Industry voices corroborate the momentum. Leonid Yasinovsky, head of the Yandex Go Scooter service, reported that in May the daily trip count on Yandex scooters in Moscow reached 250 thousand. That figure nearly tripled from the previous year and more than 550 thousand kilometers are traveled on scooters each day, a distance equated to traveling from Moscow to Vladivostok eighty-five times. These numbers illustrate that scooters have become a viable transportation option for hundreds of thousands of residents, demonstrating strong performance in service delivery.
Further insights point to a weekday-centric usage pattern. Yasinovsky explained that most rentals occur on weekdays, with peaks around eight in the morning and six in the evening, aligning with commutes to work or school and the return home.
Another key finding shows that metropolitan residents rely on scooters beyond recreation. More than eight in ten city dwellers use scooters as a practical means of getting around, often serving as a complement to existing transit networks such as the metro, bus systems, or city electric tram lines.
Observers from the Trushering project anticipate continued growth in the Russian kicksharing market. Yuri Nikolaev, publisher of Trushering, notes potential for expansion and cites forecasts suggesting the market could nearly triple by 2025. He also projects that the average number of trips per user per season could rise by more than half, reaching around ten journeys per user compared with six and a half trips in 2022. As travel behavior evolves, the share of transport trips is expected to climb while leisure trips dip, signaling a real shift in how people move around urban spaces.
Public sentiment toward regulation remains favorable. ROMIR reports that a significant majority, seventy-four percent, support the introduction of identification numbers on rental scooters, and sixty-nine percent advocate for speed limit zones to improve safety for riders and pedestrians alike. This indicates a broad willingness to adopt common-sense measures that support safer, more reliable shared mobility.
The ROMIR study interviewed sixteen hundred residents from Russian cities with populations over one million. Respondents ranged in age from eighteen to fifty and included both car owners and those who primarily rely on rental mobility. The findings offer a snapshot of how scooters are becoming embedded in daily life and how travelers navigate the evolving transportation landscape.
Taken together, these insights paint a picture of a transportation ecosystem where rental scooters are no longer a novelty but a practical, everyday option. Data from ROMIR and corroborating industry voices show a shift toward integrated mobility, with scooters aligning alongside traditional transit to meet the needs of modern urban life in Russia. The growing willingness to adopt shared mobility suggests a broader trend toward efficient, flexible, and safer urban travel for residents across major cities.
Attribution: ROMIR and industry observers cited in the cited report provide context for these trends.