Starting February 1st, 2024, Brussels is implementing significant changes to its e-scooter landscape. The city plans to reduce the available e-scooters from over 20,000 to just 8,000, exclusively operated by Bolt and Dott. Alongside this reduction, designated drop zones will become the sole spots to conclude a ride on these vehicles.
To accommodate this shift, Brussels Mobility will increase specially assigned parking spaces for shared mobility vehicles from 1,000 to 1,500 in the coming month. Leaving an e-scooter outside these allocated zones will be prohibited from then on.
This move aligns with a broader trend across European cities to address the unregulated spread of shared micromobility vehicles, which often encroach on pedestrian spaces in urban areas.
Brussels Mobility highlighted their commitment to providing the safest and most advanced vehicles to the city’s residents. The fleet, comprising e-scooters, bicycles, and mopeds, will boast 100% zero direct emissions. Moreover, special pricing schemes for various target audiences are in the works.
With licensed operators finalized, other entities now face the task of removing excess vehicles within a six-week grace period.
Furthermore, regional authorities have selected operators for shared bikes, mopeds, and cargo bikes, establishing quotas for each category in the city.
The new regulations take effect on February 1st, 2024, across 11 Brussels municipalities. In the remaining eight, operators will utilize GPS tracking systems to restrict parking to locations sanctioned by local authorities.
In a move aimed at enhancing safety on the bustling streets of Malaga, the local city council recently implemented a regulation requiring all e-scooter riders, both on shared platforms and private users, to wear helmets. Despite the better intentions behind this decision, it has stirred a heated debate, particularly with scooter rental companies threatening to withdraw from the city if the rules are enforced.
The city justifies the new mandate by citing an uptick in accidents involving e-scooters. While the local authorities believe that helmets are a necessary precaution, scooter operators vehemently oppose the measure. They argue that the accident rate for electric scooters is comparable to that of bicycles, which are not obligated to use helmets. This, according to a statement from the shared mobility operators, results in discriminatory practices.
Expressing dissatisfaction, a spokesperson for the scooter lobby emphasized the financial strain on operators, calling it “the straw that breaks the camel’s back”. The spokesperson hinted at the possibility of a single rental company monopolizing the field, given the additional burden of combating helmet thefts. As Malaga grapples with the delicate balance between safety regulations and the economic viability of scooter rentals, the outcome remains uncertain, leaving both riders and operators in a state of anticipation.
Ghent-based mobility brand TAITO has emerged as a game-changer in the e-scooter landscape, unveiling their innovative three-wheeled electric scooter earlier this year. The launch garnered substantial attention, with TAITO securing the accolade for the best e-scooter at the prestigious Micromobility Industries trade fair in Amsterdam just three months later.
Founded in 2020 by Jules Dobbelaere, Nathan De Baets, and François Desmet, TAITO focuses on urban mobility solutions. The trio’s vision extends beyond merely offering a unique e-scooter, aiming to transform the perception of electric scooters globally. Dobbelaere emphasizes the need for safer and more sustainable alternatives to traditional cars, particularly in urban environments where space is a premium.
The TAITO team conducted extensive market research in collaboration with Vlerick students and found that safety and sustainability were key concerns with existing e-scooters. In response, TAITO’s three-wheeled design incorporates a patented steering and suspension system, providing enhanced stability and safety. Furthermore, the modular components of the TAITO system promote sustainability, allowing for easy repairs and customization.
While TAITO faced challenges as a young company without prior industry experience, their dedication to innovation paid off. “We managed to go from scratch to a real product, and the combination of software with hardware makes it even more challenging,” says Jules Dobbelaere. The company successfully delivered the first batch of 100 scooters with minimal issues, earning them recognition at the Amsterdam trade fair.
Despite initial concerns about funding, TAITO experienced a windfall with a successful crowdfunding campaign, surpassing their target within an hour. “We have gathered parties around us that, on the one hand, give us the confidence to follow our course, and on the other hand, are a critical voice on our way there,” notes François Desmet.
However, TAITO acknowledges the prevailing negative perception of e-scooters, fueled by issues such as safety concerns and the disposable nature of many existing products. The founders aim to shift the focus back to the benefits of e-scooters, highlighting their role in efficient, traffic-free short-distance travel.
Looking ahead, TAITO plans to expand its product range and commercialize its e-scooter without production limits by 2024. With ambitions to tap into the broader European market, TAITO sees immense potential beyond Belgium and the Netherlands, especially in cities where scooters outsell bicycles.
As part of the Bryo program for young start-ups and scale-ups, TAITO benefits from a robust network, gaining insights from experts to propel their journey forward. “We are only at the beginning of our journey, but the sessions are of very high quality,” says Jules Dobbelaere. “It helps to hear experts within a certain domain talk about their experiences.”
TAITO’s revolutionary approach to e-scooters positions them as leaders in redefining urban mobility, with a commitment to safety, sustainability, and innovation, as reported by Voka entrepreneurial network.
Dott, a responsible European micromobility operator, today unveils new research highlighting the impact of its shared e-scooter and e-bike services in cities across Europe. More than one quarter (26%) of Dott trips replaced motorised alternatives such as the car, taxi or motorbike, equal to removing over 8 million polluting journeys last year.
Nearly two thirds of Dott users (62%) that previously travelled by car, said that they are using that mode less since starting to use Dott.3 And riders are travelling for longer, with the average ride distance up by 9% to 2.36km in the first half of 2023.
Dott’s shared vehicles have become a frequent, everyday solution for its users, with 63% of its trips used for commuting. By combining public transport with shared e-scooters and e-bikes, Dott’s riders benefit from a compelling alternative to cars across longer distances. 58% of riders combine Dott with public transport and 50% use a public transport pass. The figures demonstrate that shared e-scooters and e-bike services support, rather than replace, public transport.
Persistent high fuel costs are continuing to influence people’s travel decisions. Over one in four (28%) say that they are using shared e-bikes and e-scooters more, as a result of the energy crisis. Shared micromobility services save users from vehicle purchase and maintenance costs, providing a reliable and efficient alternative to ownership.
Henri Moissinac, Co-Founder and CEO, Dott, said: “As we approach the end of our peak season, European Mobility Week provides an opportunity to explore how our riders are using our service. With the majority of trips now coming from an everyday solution to commuting, we’re having a real impact in reducing car use. We are focused on providing a safe, reliable service at scale to help more people choose sustainable transport when travelling across their city.”
‘Inside Dott’
To mark European Mobility Week, Dott has opened up the doors to its Operations Centres across Europe. Visitors have been able to see how Dott’s unique in-house model, and commitment to delivering its service responsibly, provide a high quality and reliable service for its users.
The environment and social impact are at the heart of every business decision at Dott. The micromobility company has set out its goals and progress at ridedott.com/sustainability.
-ENDS-
Notes to editors
1 Based on Dott research targeting 6,930 Dott users who had ridden within the last 30 days, conducted between 27 July and 14 August 2023.
2 Based on Dott’s total number of rides in 2022 (33,603,491)
3 Respondents who said they used personal cars, taxis or ride-hailing services less.
About Dott
Dott is a European micromobility operator founded by Henri Moissinac and Maxim Romain, with the mission to free our cities with clean rides for everyone. Dott currently operates over 40,000 e-scooters and 10,000 e-bikes in top cities in Belgium, France, Israel, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK. Dott has a staff of over 600, with its main teams located in Amsterdam, London and Paris.
Comments Off on Swifty Scooters awarded grant funding for new electric scooter
Swifty Scooters is one of four British companies to be awarded funding totalling £1.1mn to support the research and development of zero emission vehicle technologies. Funded by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) and supported by Innovate UK, the ‘Production Readiness Competition’ is delivered by the Niche Vehicle Network (NVN) with support from Cenex.
Despite the UK’s stance regarding permitting electric scooters on UK roads, Swifty have demonstrated the significance of their innovative design in their winning bid.
“In the current context, it’s vitally important that we enable more people to make clean and low-cost journeys. We’re delighted to finally have the recognition of the importance of our electric scooter design – we are confident that our new vehicle will raise the bar in terms of safety within the industry.” Camilla Iftakhar, Co-founder, Swifty Scooters
Swifty’s new electric scooters will be among other competition winners, Maeving electric motorcycles, Callum Designs EV and Ariel Motor All-Terrain Vehicle, creating an exciting and diverse display of British innovative companies working towards a Net Zero future.
“These Production Readiness projects play an important role in developing the UK low volume EV supply chain, creating that not only benefit the projects but also the wider niche vehicle sector.” Scott Thompson, Programme Manager, Niche Vehicle Network.
An Electric Scooter Optimised for Superior Rider Safety
The question of scooter safety is probably the main concern within the public sphere. The negative reporting by the press continues to perpetuate people’s safety concerns making it difficult for regulators to make any decisive move. Meanwhile, the industry produces a vast array of differentiated models and designs, and the technology is advancing quickly.
The new electric scooter that is soon to be unveiled by Swifty is designed for road and cycle-lane riding, and will incorporate the tried and tested Swifty geometry which boasts superior stability and control. It will feature Swifty’s signature 16 inch wheels, front and rear suspension, disk brakes, and a safe battery and charging system will be incorporated.
“By collaborating with a UK battery specialist PMBL, we aim to utilise the latest battery chemistry LFP (also known as LiFePO4 or Lithium Ferro Phosphate). LFP batteries operate at a lower temperature and are more inherently safe than regular Lithium-ion batteries. They also do not contain cobalt, which we know is a problematic industry.” Jason Iftakhar, Co-founder, Swifty Scooters
Swifty remain pragmatic in their design approach, advocating the need for regulation in a comprehensive safety standard that build on existing standards of the e-bike industry, plus the need for users to obtain insurance. However, it is unlikely that the UK regulations will permit e-scooters (apart from on private land) by the time the new vehicle enters the market in April 2024. The founders remain positive that UK regulations will be inclusive of these new technologies in the efforts to reach Net Zero.
Swifty’s new vehicle demonstrates that safety and e-scooters can go hand in hand and are looking to export markets to unveil their design.
Best Electric Scooter for Adults to be Unveiled in the USA
With a focus on accessible transport for short-distance travel, the new model promises to push the capabilities of the new mode with their high-quality design. Founder Jason Iftakhar has described the new scooter as Swifty’s best electric scooter to date.
“Riding a safe and stable scooter optimises the rider experience. The thrill of riding electric, standing up is an unbeatable feeling. The handling and control of our design we believe is industry leading. We’re confident our customers will love the feeling as much as we do.” Jason Iftakhar, Co-founder, Swifty Scooters
They are looking forward to releasing more details to their community in the coming weeks.
Since the Parisian ban on self-service scooters came into force on 1 September, its city hall has called the move revolutionary in “an urban jungle”, while stakeholders have remain divided on the pros and cons.
In April, 7% of Parisians voted in a referendum on the future of pay-per-use eScooters, with 89% voting for their removal from the streets. As of 1 September 2023, the vehicles have been officially banned, making Paris the only European country with such a measure currently in force.
E-scooters are responsible for an “urban jungle”, with “very abusive usage of these e-mobility tools [having] created a strong sense of insecurity,” according to the Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of transport, David Bélliard, in a press conference on 31 August.
He continued that a ban was the right way forward because even with tighter regulation, Parisians felt insecure. Furthermore, he explained that it was democratic because “130,000 voters for a public consultation is a consequent number,” although this amount only accounts for 5% of the population of Paris.
Amid growing controversy and concerns around e-scooters, three of the main companies providing these services in Paris presented proposals to the city hall, but Mayor Anne Hidalgo ultimately decided to put future usage of these vehicles in Paris to a vote.
The ban covers 15,000 self-service electric scooters. Operated by Dott, Lime and TIER, they have been redistributed during the summer to surrounding cities.
Meanwhile, personal e-scooters are still allowed to travel in bike lanes.
Opinion remains divided
Mohamed Mezghani, secretary-general at the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), told EURACTIV that “there should be a choice of mobility options for everyone, and excluding one mobility solution from a city is perhaps counter to that approach.”
Bélliard refutes this argument, pointing to the existence of other mobility solutions such as buses, the subway, bikes and walking. He also expressed a concern that “e-scooters are not a relevant mobility tool as they mainly replace walking,” that they create disturbance such as traffic hazards and congestion, and were used mainly by tourists and not by Parisians.
The EU industry association Micro-mobility For Europe wrote in a press statement that “moving away from shared e-scooters isolates Paris from the rest of the world.” Deputy Mayor Bélliard confirmed that he is in touch with his European counterparts, who are all “facing similar issues that revolve around congestion of the public spaces [and] insecurity.”
Safety concerns
Peter Staelens, head of mobility at Eurocities, an organisation representing local governments, explained to EURACTIV that “e-scooter usage has resulted in a recurring pattern of serious facial injuries that require surgery.”
While the ban will hopefully decrease the number of injuries, other stakeholders have concerns about increases in car usage.
Sylvain Delavergne, French coordinator at the Clean Cities Coalition, an organisation campaigning for zero-emission zones within European cities, explained that the Parisian ban will see car trips increase by 8,000 according to a 2022 study.
The ban is, therefore not a solution in his mind, as it will impoverish the air quality in the capital, which is already “responsible for an annual 2,500 premature deaths.”
Paris is now the only European city with a total ban on self-service e-scooters. Previously, Madrid and Copenhagen had similar bans, but they were eventually repealed. Barcelona has temporary restrictions in place and a decision on permanent prohibition or regulation is expected in the autumn.
Following the vote in April, an official joint statement from Dott, Lime and TIER Mobility noted: “We regret that Parisians will lose a shared and green transport option. The result of this vote will have a direct impact on the travel of 400,000 people per month, 71% of whom are 18-35 year old residents. It is a step back for sustainable transport in Paris ahead of the 2024 Olympics.”
An official statement from Bolt highlighted that Paris is taking a step backward: “Considering the potential of shared scooters to make a positive change in the city and the constantly evolving technologies that we’re using to make scooter operations safe for everyone, we believe that resigning from shared scooters would be a step backwards in building better cities.”
Meanwhile, operators look set to turn their attention to e-bikes to make up the shortfall in business as well as looking at other EU cities.
“While Lime e-scooters will depart Paris by the end of August for other cities in Europe, Parisian riders are already pivoting to our expanding fleet of e-bikes,” a Lime spokesperson told CNBC
The municipal district, which includes much of the medieval historic heart of the city, has unanimously agreed a motion to prohibit the parking of electric scooters in its public spaces.
In a similar vein the the Paris restrictions, and other proposals across Europe, Prague has decided to place limits that forbid the parking of shared e-scooters within its central streets and parks. The district also plans to approach the municipality to extend this ban to cover the entire conservation area.
The move appears to be motivated by concern for public safety, as well by numbers of tourists unfamiliar both with the vehicles and the local streets. Co-sponsor Pavel Marc (Praha 1 Sobě) was quoted as saying, “Having relatively hefty machines, often occupied by two people, constantly cluttering our sidewalks and endangering our elderly population is incompatible with life in this part of the city,”
Though the motion prohibits parking, there is some leniency in the fact that it does not forbid e-scooters from passing through the zone. Current affected operators in the city include Lime and Bolt.
It was reported that Miroslav Stejskal, director of the Prague 1 municipal police, shared that officers had dealt with 4,352 scooter-related offences and issued fines amounting to approximately CZK 1.1 million (about 45,000 euros) over a six month period. This is in contrast to the number of offences related to cyclists in the same period, which numbered 560, or about eight times less.
More than 50 organisations have signed a letter to the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, calling on the government to establish a timeline for e-scooter legislation.
Environmental charities, local authorities, disabled people’s organisations, micromobility operators, and retailers have signed a joint letter from Now Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK) to encourage the government to expedite the progression of this legislation.
Currently, rental e-scooters are exclusively accessible through government-approved trials available in approximately 23 towns and cities across England, while the use of privately-owned e-scooters on public roads remains prohibited by law.
The UK stands as the only developed nation lacking either permanent legal frameworks for e-scooters or definitive commitments towards plans to legalise them.
The letter sent to Mark Harper MP, Transport Secretary and Jesse Norman MP, Minister of State reads: “Currently e-scooter trials are due to end after May 2024. These trials are ingrained into local transportation systems enabling thousands of people to get to work, higher education and to run errands. Yet there is no certainty of these trials beyond spring next year now the ability of additional towns or cities to introduce these services.
“The lack of certainty combined with the fact an estimated 750,000 privately owned and unregulated e-scooters are on UK roads underscored the importance of e-scooter legislation being included in this year’s king’s speech.
“Another extension to shared e-scooters does not address private e-scooters. These private vehicles are unlikely to undergo regular maintenance by trained professionals or have government mandated safety features.
“Private e-scooters can cause concern for road users particularly disabled people in addition to potentially being unsafe for riders, however, this is where legislation and regulation can make a positive difference.”
Among the signatories include the Campaign for Better Transport, Clean Cities Campaign, London Cycling Campaign, Major Trauma Group, Northamptonshire Police, Pure Electric, Southampton Sight, Sustrans, Thomas Pocklington Trust, Transport Action Network, Urban Transport Group, and Women in Transport.
Local authorities include Essex County Council, Milton Keynes City Council, North Northamptonshire Council, Somerset Council, West Northamptonshire Council, and West Yorkshire Combined Authority have also lent their support.
Leading micromobility operators such as Voi, Beryl, Dott, Ginger, Lime, Superpedestrian, Tier, and Zwings have additionally signed the initiative.
In a statement to Zag Daily, Richard Dilks, the Chief Executive of CoMoUK, emphasized, “While we appreciate the government’s prior inclusion of this commitment in the Queen’s Speech, it is disheartening that we are yet to witness the enactment of legislation establishing a distinct class for powered light vehicles. Consequently, the UK now finds itself significantly trailing neighboring nations with comparable circumstances.”
A recent independent survey conducted by Voi, involving 2,000 respondents aged between 18 and 64, found that more than 80% of the general public support new regulatory measures for e-scooters, while over 70% expressed a desire for the implementation of these regulations prior to the next General Election, which is likely to be held next year.
The suburbs surrounding the Belgian capital have recently made the decision to abolish access for e-scooters – in contrast to Paris’s policies, where they have been banned from the city centre’s streets.
In April, Paris residents voted to ban the e-scooter sharing services within the city, sparking discussions about the potential emergence of this action in other major European cities. Interestingly, in neighbouring Belgium, it’s not the capital region but the tranquil suburbs adjacent to Brussels that are embracing this idea.
These new changes mean that attempting to complete a journey on an e-scooter across the municipal limits to neighbouring suburbs just isn’t possible.
E-scooter companies have since urged Flemish local authorities to allow shared micro-mobility services, however these efforts have been met with strong opposition. E-scooter operators like Bolt and Tier are keen to expand into the Flemish satellite municipalities surrounding Brussels due to their proximity to the city centre, unlike the municipalities situated to the south of Brussels, which are more distant from the centre.
Given that shared e-scooter schemes would improve the mobility integration with downtown Brussels, where many residents work and spend leisure time, this begs the question of why the governments of the municipalities in question refuse to allow this.
According to The Brussels Times, the smaller local governments are unimpressed by the numerous complaints about reckless speeding and chaotic parking that often accompany the use of shared micro-mobility services.
Ingrid Holemans, the mayor of Zaventem, a town whose territory includes the international airport of the Belgian capital, simply stated, “We don’t want them.”
The VIAS road safety institute reveals that accidents involving electric scooters in Belgium have quadrupled over the past two years. Such statistics raise concerns among local officials, who have concluded that e-scooters could disrupt the peaceful nature of suburban life.
Even in Brussels proper, the future appears bleak for electric two-wheelers. Starting from 2024, only two operators will be allowed to operate within the Belgian capital, each with a cap of 4,000 scooters. Whether this restriction will influence the municipalities to open their doors to these services remains uncertain.
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