Dynamic repositioning problem of dockless electric scooter sharing systems

Shared mobility systems have been adopted in urban areas around the world to relieve parking problems caused by private vehicles. Among these systems, dockless electric scooter sharing systems (DESSSs) have been implemented in many large cities due to their advantages of environmental friendliness and convenience. However, the repositioning of dockless scooters is vital for the quality of service of these systems because the demand for shared scooters is temporally and spatially imbalanced. An optimization model and solution algorithm are developed in this study to solve the operator-based dynamic repositioning problem of DESSS. Dynamic repositioning refers to the scenario where the operator repositions scooters while users utilize scooters. A mixed-integer programming model for the dynamic repositioning problem of DESSS is proposed for the first time along with a heuristic algorithm in this study. The proposed methodology, which is tested using numerical examples, demonstrates high potential in assisting DESSS operations.