Economic and Financial Evaluation of Implementing High Precision E-Scooter Parking Infrastructure Under Uncertainty: A Case Study of Oslo
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This thesis evaluates whether municipal investment in high precision e-scooter parking infrastructure can be economically and financially justified under uncertainty. The study uses Oslo as a case and focuses on the negative externalities associated with misparked shared e scooters, including pedestrian injury risks, pedestrian time losses, accessibility impacts, and administrative costs related to enforcement and complaint handling. The analysis combines an economic and a financial evaluation. The economic analysis applies a cost benefit approach and discounted cash flow methodology to assess whether the system creates net societal value. The financial analysis assesses whether the investment is viable from the perspective of Oslo Municipality’s budget. The model uses scenario-based assumptions for baseline costs and system effectiveness, reflecting uncertainty in both the scale of the misparking problem and the actual impact of high precision parking infrastructure. The results show a clear difference between societal and municipal financial outcomes. From a societal perspective, the system can be economically justified if it achieves sufficient effectiveness in reducing misparking related costs. In the medium baseline scenario, the break-even efficiency is approximately 33 %. At higher effectiveness levels, the system generates positive net societal benefits, mainly through reduced injury costs, pedestrian time losses, and administrative burden. From a municipal financial perspective, however, the system remains financially unattractive because direct administrative savings are not sufficient to offset recurring operating costs. The findings suggest that high precision parking infrastructure should primarily be viewed as a public intervention aimed at reducing negative externalities and improving urban accessibility, rather than as a financially self-sustaining investment. The results are sensitive to assumptions about baseline societal costs and system effectiveness, highlighting the need for empirical pilot data on actual behavioural effects.
Source: Aaltodoc (Aalto University)
Author: Pancevski, Stefan
Language: English
Subfield: Transportation
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7165091856