How cities can foster successful partnerships with micromobility operators

Cities across Europe are refining how they regulate shared micromobility as operators call for clearer, outcome-focused frameworks that support both financial viability and long-term service quality.

Central to successful partnerships is a policy environment that enables operators to match supply with real demand, supported by high-quality cycling infrastructure, predictable operating conditions and cost structures that do not undermine the basic economics of running a fleet. Operators consistently point to the importance of reasonable licensing fees, fair enforcement practices and flexible fleet sizes that reflect actual usage patterns rather than arbitrary caps.

Overly prescriptive technical rules, rigid deployment obligations or aggressive fine regimes are frequently cited as barriers to stable and sustainable operations. Cities that avoid these pitfalls and instead prioritise clarity, collaboration and shared objectives are better placed to retain high-quality services and encourage continued investment.

Insights from the Shared Micromobility Alliance

The findings, published in a new whitepaper from the Shared Micromobility Alliance’s Tenders & Business Models Working Group, draw on interviews with three of Europe’s leading micromobility operators – Dott, Voi and Lime. The document highlights the most significant cost drivers affecting service viability, including licence fees that can exceed 40 percent of net revenue in some markets or fine structures that absorb more than a fifth of operating income. It also points to governance models that are proving more effective, with cities such as Oslo adopting flexible parking provision, outcome-based regulation and multi-year permits to encourage long-term stability.

While the full analysis goes deeper into financial models, deployment practices and emerging tools such as micro-incentives, the core message is clear: cities that focus on enabling conditions, predictable rules and shared policy goals are more likely to secure resilient, high-performing micromobility partnerships.

What comes next

As shared micromobility becomes a more established part of the urban transport mix, the whitepaper argues that cities and operators will need to work ever more closely to balance the commercial realities of service delivery with broader public objectives. A shift toward outcome-driven tendering, aligned incentives and transparent decision-making is emerging as a common pathway for cities seeking more reliable and accessible services without imposing unsustainable burdens on providers

The whitepaper ‘How to foster successful partnerships with operators’ is available for download for SMA members here.