Citation

van Boven JFM, An PL, Kirenga BJ, Chavannes NH. Lancet Planet. Health 2017; 1(5): e168-e169.

Affiliation

Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S2542-5196(17)30079-7

PMID

29851633

Abstract

In the last decade, most traffic-related anti-air pollution policy focused on reduction of emissions from cars, busses, and lorries, especially because diesel fuel was thought to be the main source of pollution. Regulations on scooter emission lagged behind for a long time, yet promising policy developments seem to be imminent. Strict European Union regulations effective from 2018 onwards will restrict the sale of the most polluting scooters—ie, those with a two-stroke engine type. At the same time, new electric scooters (e-scooters) could help reduce the burden of air pollution.

From summer, 2017, the citizens of Amsterdam, Netherlands, will be able to benefit from a shared e-scooter initiative, following San Francisco, Paris, and Barcelona. At first sight, the absolute impact of introduction of e-scooters in the so-called bicycle capital of the world might be considered moderate given the relative low number of scooters compared with regular bicycle users. However, these regular cyclists have relatively high air pollution exposure due to their elevated respiratory minute volume combined with the short distance between scooters and cyclists on Dutch bicycle lanes...

Language: en