Optimizing Shared Micro-Mobility: Transitioning to Virtual Docking and Demand Prediction for Enhanced System Balance

— Shared micro-mobility vehicles are perceived as an
eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to traditional public
transportation, offering a new urban lifestyle choice. Depending
on the strategy employed, micro-mobility companies typically
manage their fleets through dock-based or free-floating systems.
However, in recent years, the free-floating system has shown its
limitations despite its flexibility: inefficiency due to disorganized
parking and oversupply. On the other hand, systems based
on virtual stations have demonstrated superior efficiency in
addressing these drawbacks and incur lower costs than physical
stations. This paper proposes a framework for an automated
transition from a free-floating system to a virtual dock-based
system. This approach uses multi-layer clustering techniques
while maintaining high efficiency and service quality, providing
demand forecasting within each station for system rebalancing.