Voi – the UK’s leading e-scooter operator – has been selected as the exclusive e-scooter rental scheme provider in the West of England region, including Bristol and Bath.
The 12-month West of England trial, which will roll out onto streets in October, is part of the U.K. Government initiatives to encourage sustainability and a green recovery. Voi’s e-scooters can be used to support public transport and provide a new low-carbon transportation solution at a time of heightened social-distancing measures.
This is one of three exclusive tenders to be awarded to the Swedish e-scooter company in the U.K. The West of England joins trials in the West Midlands, Cambridge, Northampton, and Peterborough. In just two months, Voi has become the U.K.’s number-one operator of rental e-scooters. For context, no other provider operates in more than three cities/towns.
Voi is working hand in hand with the West of England Combined Authority to transform the way residents travel and will be offering weekly and monthly passes, to make the cost of travelling by Voi e-scooters affordable to all income groups. In particular, there will be discounted passes for low-income individuals and for key workers.
Providing new ways to travel
As cities across the U.K. look to balance getting people back to work with ensuring that coronavirus infection rates do not rise significantly, the choice for many commuters will be between micro-mobility options that avoid public transport and cars.
A car-led recovery would exponentially increase pollution and related issues; by contrast, e-scooters can help play a role in active travel while cutting congestion, lowering pollution and improving air quality. Voi’s app is now among the top five downloaded travel and transport apps in the country, with trials already underway in the West Midlands and Northamptonshire and other cities to follow shortly. In Europe, Voi now operates in more than 50 cities across 11 countries.
As e-scooters are introduced across the region, Voi will work closely with the West of England Combined Authority to make suggestions about additional infrastructure that will help communities get the best use out of this new mode of transportation, based on user feedback and user journey data. Voi will also work closely with disability group associations, including the RNIB and Disabilities Move UK, to ensure that the needs of vulnerable groups are heeded during the trial.
Fredrik Hjelm, co-founder and CEO of Voi Technology, said: “Voi will soon be coming to Bristol and Bath, two marvelous British cities of great economic and cultural importance, and we couldn’t be more excited about it. The pandemic has created a major transportation problem that Voi is helping to solve. We need a climate- and COVID-friendly alternative to a car-led ‘recovery’. The viable alternative is an e-scooter rental scheme, which puts rider and public safety, as well as well as the climate, first.”
Richard Corbett, U.K. and Ireland General Manager, Voi Technology, said: “Our public transport system is under significant pressure as a result of COVID-19, and forward-thinking solutions are required to help keep people moving safely and sustainably during the upcoming winter period. To ensure the scheme gets off to a smooth start, Voi is making use of licence plates to help identify any misuse of our e-scooters, as well as investing in ambassadors on the streets to ensure that any anti-social behaviour is stopped in its tracks. We are committed to ensuring that the launch is equitable for all, including the blind and partially sighted.”
Tim Bowles, West of England Mayor, said: “I’m really pleased to announce Voi Technology Ltd as the operator for our e-scooter trials, which will provide a new, low carbon way to travel around the region. This is a real benefit for our region while social distancing is in place on public transport, but also it’s a great opportunity to understand the role that these might play in supporting our longer-term sustainable transport solutions.
“We have been talking with our colleagues from other combined authorities running e-scooter trials around the country in order to learn from their experiences. We are working closely with our councils and Avon & Somerset Police to ensure that e-scooters are used responsibly as part of the trial. Voi has the ability to restrict or bar non-compliant users and this is a key part of the agreement we have put in place.”