Micro-Mobility in Athens: Real-World Data from bFlex and the National Technical University of Athens

Evaluating Safety, Car Replacement, and Urban Mobility Behavior (2025–2026)

Urban mobility in Athens is undergoing a gradual transformation. As cities across Europe search for ways to reduce congestion, emissions, and transportation costs, micro-mobility vehicles such as bicycles, e-bikes, and electric scooters are becoming increasingly relevant.

However, reliable data about how these vehicles are used in Southern European cities remains limited.

To address this gap, bFlex (FlexThis) has collaborated with the Athens Mobility Observatory at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) to collect real-world usage data from riders using micro-mobility vehicles in urban environments.

The findings help answer key questions:

• Are micro-mobility vehicles replacing car trips?
• How frequently are riders using them?
• How safe do riders feel on city streets?
• What patterns are emerging in Athens and other European cities?

This article summarizes insights from the 2025 NTUA mobility study and the latest rider survey conducted in 2026.

Why Micro-Mobility Data Matters

Most research on micro-mobility focuses on Western European cities where cycling infrastructure is well developed.

Cities like Athens present a different environment:

• Limited cycling infrastructure
• Dense urban streets
• High reliance on private cars
• Rapid growth in electric mobility

Because of these conditions, Athens provides a valuable case study for how micro-mobility develops in cities where infrastructure is still evolving.

Through its marketplace platform, bFlex collects usage data directly from riders and vendors, creating one of the few datasets available on real micro-mobility behavior in the region.

The research initiative with NTUA aims to translate these insights into urban planning tools and road-safety strategies.

Micro-Mobility Usage in Athens: Key Findings

The most recent survey of riders using bicycles, e-bikes, and electric scooters reveals several consistent behavioral patterns.

1. Micro-Mobility Significantly Reduces Car Usage

One of the most important findings is the direct replacement of car trips.

Among surveyed riders:

• 50% reported significantly reducing car usage
• 36% reported somewhat reducing car usage
• 14% do not own a car

This means 86% of riders are actively replacing car trips with micro-mobility.

This result supports previous findings from the NTUA collaboration, which already indicated that a large share of users rely on micro-mobility for daily transportation rather than recreational riding.

The implication is clear:

Micro-mobility vehicles are not just supplementary transport, they are replacing car travel in urban environments.

2. E-Bikes Are the Most Popular Micro-Mobility Vehicle

The data also reveals which types of vehicles riders prefer.

Vehicle types used by riders

• Electric bicycles (e-bikes): ~32%
• Traditional bicycles: ~23%
• Electric kick scooters: ~14%
• Electric mopeds or scooters: ~9%
• Mixed usage (multiple vehicle types): remaining share

The dominance of electric bicycles reflects a broader European trend.

E-bikes reduce physical effort and allow riders to navigate hills and longer distances more easily, making them particularly suited for cities like Athens.

3. Riders Use Micro-Mobility Vehicles Frequently

Micro-mobility usage is not occasional.

Survey responses indicate that most riders use their vehicles multiple times per week.

Frequency of usage

• 5 days per week: 27%
• 3–4 days per week: 36%
• 6–7 days per week: 14%
• 1–2 days per week: 18%
• Exclusive usage (no other vehicle): 5%

These results suggest that micro-mobility vehicles are increasingly becoming primary commuting tools rather than leisure devices.

4. Typical Daily Travel Distances

The data also provides insight into typical travel distances.

Average daily travel distance

• 3–5 km: 41%
• 10 km or more: 27%
• 1–2 km: 18%
• 6–9 km: 14%

These distances match typical urban commuting patterns.

A 3–5 km trip corresponds closely to the average commuting distance inside dense European city centers.

This further reinforces the idea that micro-mobility vehicles are being used as daily transportation alternatives to cars.

5. Safety Perception Remains a Major Challenge

While adoption is increasing, safety remains a concern for many riders.

How safe riders feel on city streets

• Neutral: 50%
• Unsafe: 27%
• Very unsafe: 9%
• Safe: 9%
• Very safe: 5%

This means that over one-third of riders feel unsafe when riding in the city.

The NTUA collaboration focuses specifically on this issue by analyzing:

• Road infrastructure conditions
• Urban traffic patterns
• Rider behavior
• Data from micro-mobility users

The goal is to develop road-safety tools that municipalities can use when planning cycling infrastructure.

The Role of Marketplaces in Mobility Data

Traditional mobility studies rely on surveys conducted by municipalities or academic institutions.

However, digital platforms like bFlex provide a unique opportunity to collect mobility data in real time.

Because the platform connects:

• Vendors
• Riders
• Rental fleets
• Subscription users
• Bike buyers

it captures behavioral data across multiple forms of micro-mobility usage.

This includes:

• Rentals
• Monthly subscriptions
• Ownership
• Guided tours
• Fleet usage by businesses

As a result, platforms like bFlex can provide continuous insight into mobility trends that would otherwise be difficult to measure.

Micro-Mobility and Urban Sustainability

The environmental impact of micro-mobility is increasingly recognized.

Across the bFlex platform ecosystem:

• 37% of users report replacing car trips with micro-mobility
• The platform has helped prevent over 150,000 kg of CO₂ emissions

Although these figures continue to evolve as the platform grows, they demonstrate the potential of small vehicles to significantly reduce transportation emissions.

In dense cities like Athens, where traffic congestion and pollution remain major challenges, even small shifts away from car dependency can have measurable effects.

What Cities Can Learn from Athens

Athens offers a useful example for other cities with similar urban characteristics.

Key lessons emerging from the data include:

1. Micro-mobility adoption can grow even with limited infrastructure

Despite relatively limited cycling infrastructure, adoption continues to increase.

2. Electric bicycles accelerate adoption

E-bikes help overcome physical barriers such as hills and long distances.

3. Safety perception must improve

Infrastructure and road-safety tools are essential to maintain growth.

4. Platforms can provide valuable mobility data

Digital marketplaces can become important partners for municipalities and researchers.

The Future of Micro-Mobility Research

The collaboration between bFlex and NTUA is part of a broader effort to understand how micro-mobility evolves in cities where traditional cycling infrastructure is still developing.

Future research will focus on:

• Urban safety mapping
• Infrastructure gaps
• Behavioral mobility patterns
• Data-driven urban planning tools

As micro-mobility continues to expand across Europe, real-world usage data will become increasingly important for policymakers, urban planners, and transportation researchers.

Athens, once considered a difficult environment for cycling, may become one of the most valuable case studies in understanding how sustainable transportation emerges in complex urban landscapes.