Actualizing sustainable transport: the interplay between public policy instruments and shared mobility providers’ business models

Cities around the world are trying to understand if and how to regulate urban mobility in a way that stimulates innovation and supports business while also promoting public values and accelerating a sustainability transition. Service providers are also attempting to understand how to grow and thrive as a business as they challenge existing urban mobility structures and practices via new mobility services, new uses of public space, etc. Thus, this article seeks to understand the interplay between business models and public policies and, ultimately, the implications policy instruments have on shaping conditions for sustainable urban mobility. To address these questions, a qualitative approach is utilized, comprising case studies of two ‘new mobility’ service providers (Bolt and Tier) operating in three Northern European cities (Oslo, Stockholm, and Berlin) including interviews with these companies and local public actors. Findings show that the business models are influenced by legitimization on the national level, the local authorities’ and service providers’ approaches, and policy instruments related to the right to operate, including caps, geographic coverage, parking, geofencing, and data sharing. Utilizing business models and multi-level perspectives, the findings are discussed in relation to actualizing sustainable transport, e.g. interdependencies, goal alignment, and temporal and spatial considerations. The authors emphasize the importance of learning by doing, policy mixes (versus instruments), and purpose-driven collaboration among stakeholders.