Finding the right formula to deploy shared micromobility

European cities are increasingly adopting more tailored approaches to bringing shared micromobility services to market, as officials try to balance commercial flexibility with public goals such as equity, modal shift and integration with public transport.

According to a new briefing from the Shared Micromobility Alliance – based on interviews with city officials in Antwerp, Barcelona, the greater Oslo region and Prague – there is growing maturity in how municipalities approach operator engagement, with more emphasis on early dialogue and clearer data expectations.

Engagement models – including licensing, permitting, tendering and partnership agreements – each come with trade-offs, and many municipalities are now combining approaches depending on service type, local conditions and the maturity of their micromobility ecosystem.

Tenders are widely seen as the strongest mechanism for shaping outcomes, particularly where cities want to influence pricing, service distribution or integration and are prepared to offer compensation. However, the paper notes that overly prescriptive tender requirements can reduce agility and limit innovation.

While licensing models offer greater flexibility and are typically less complex to administer, they can leave cities with fewer levers to steer service quality and equity.

Permitting is often positioned as a middle ground, setting minimum standards while keeping markets open. Prague’s “open house” agreements, for example, allow any operator meeting basic requirements to enter the market under a standard contract.

Insights from across Europe

The briefing also highlights the benefits of deeper integration. Oslo’s public transport authority, Ruter, is cited for integrating micromobility into its public transport app, including real-time availability information at stops and on vehicle screens.

The paper points to emerging hybrid approaches, including framework agreements designed to combine the predictability of tenders with the flexibility of permits, though legal authority remains a challenge in some contexts. Overall, it argues that cities that define goals clearly, engage operators early and design proportionate regulation are more likely to secure stable, high-quality services

The SMA resource ‘Choosing the best route to market – A briefing for cities and public transport authorities’ is an output co-created by the Tenders & Business Models working group of the Shared Micromobility Alliance, and is available now for SMA members on the online CTI Community

Photo by Marek Rucinski on Unsplash