London e-scooter scheme worst in Europe, claims Voi
Above: E-scooters in London. Credit: Voi
Voi is calling on Transport for London to take urgent action over the operation of the London e-scooter trials - which the company’s CEO says is the worst out of over 100 cities in Europe where the company operates.
The company’s CEO and co-founder Fredrik Hjelm said the heavily regulated e-scooter trials cannot compete with the capital’s rental e-bikes, which are unregulated with e-bike companies able to deploy as many bikes as they like, wherever they like.
He says Voi may have no option other than to withdraw from the trial or deploy 20,000 e-bikes to level the playing field and is calling for an urgent meeting with Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London.
One operator, Dott, has already pulled out of the trials, blaming the “rapid and unregulated rise of e-bikes” for making it impossible to run a financially sustainable shared e-scooter service.
In a letter to Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, Fredrik says: “I am sure you will agree that micromobility is crucial to reduce dependency on cars and to increase sustainable and accessible forms of transport. It also plays a major role in improving London’s air quality.
“We were thrilled to launch in London last September to support this goal. However, we are increasingly concerned about the direction of micromobility in London.
He adds: “E-scooters have been extremely successful in cities across the UK and the rest of Europe. Of the 100-plus towns and cities Voi operates in, London is the lowest-performing due to a heavily regulated trial that cannot compete with largely unregulated rental e-bikes. Urgent action is required to address this.”
He continues: “As things stand, it is financially unsustainable to continue operating in the city. If we are not able to work with TfL to improve the situation, we are faced with just two options:
- We withdraw from the city, effectively signalling the failure and end of the TfL-led e-scooter scheme, and creating an effective monopoly for a single operator.
- This summer, we invest in and deploy 20,000 e-bikes across London.
The e-scooter scheme is only available in nine London boroughs and the City of London, has too few parking spots and is hampered by no-go and slow-go zones - whereas e-bikes operate with very little regulation on where they can be ridden or parked.
Ends
Notes to editors
- Fredrik Hjelm is available for interview. Please contact press@voiapp.io.
- The text of the letter is here:
Dear Sadiq,
Congratulations on your recent re-election as Mayor and historic third-term. As Co-Founder and CEO of Voi Technology, Europe’s leading micromobility operator, it is always a pleasure to visit London.
I am sure you will agree that micromobility is crucial to reduce dependency on cars and to increase sustainable and accessible forms of transport. It also plays a major role in improving London’s air quality. We were thrilled to launch in London last September to support this goal. However, we are increasingly concerned about the direction of micromobility in London. I am writing to request a meeting to discuss the e-scooter trial, how it can be improved now, and best positioned for the future.
E-scooters have been extremely successful in cities across the UK and the rest of Europe. Of the 100+ towns and cities Voi operates in, London is the lowest-performing due to a heavily regulated trial that cannot compete with largely unregulated rental e-bikes. Urgent action is required to address this.
Riding a rental e-scooter across the city is a really poor experience for Londoners. Below are some of the key issues not faced by unregulated bikes:
- Only 9 boroughs and the City of London are included, creating a ‘patchwork’ operating area and severely limiting where people can ride.
- Insufficient parking spots, meaning the average walking time to a vehicle is over 6 minutes (the ideal is 2-3 minutes).
- Age restrictions are set at 18+ (with 16+ being the DfT guidance).
- Speed limited to 12.5 mph (below the 15.5 mph DfT limit).
Meanwhile, there has been a rapid rise of rental e-bikes across the city, with few restrictions or regulations about where they can be ridden or parked.
These issues drove another operator, Dott, to withdraw from the trial, blaming the “rapid and unregulated rise of e-bikes.” As things stand, it is financially unsustainable to continue operating in the city. If we are not able to work with TfL to improve the situation, we are faced with just two options:
- We withdraw from the city, effectively signalling the failure and end of the TfL-led e-scooter scheme, and creating an effective monopoly for a single operator.
- This summer, we invest in and deploy 20,000 e-bikes across London.
I hope you can use your influence working alongside the government after 4 July to improve the situation, and I would welcome the opportunity to discuss further and share experiences from Europe.
Yours sincerely,
Fredrik Hjelm
Co-Founder and Chief Executive
Voi Technology
For further information, please contact:
Juliette Maxam, Senior PR manager, Voi UK, Ireland and Belgium
juliette.maxam@voiapp.io
About Voi
Founded in 2018, Voi is a Swedish micromobility company offering e-scooter and e-bike sharing in partnership with towns, cities and local communities. We believe e-scooters can play a central role in changing how people move in our towns and cities in the future. We want to ensure that the micromobility transformation happens the right way - through real innovative technology, open and transparent dialogue with towns, cities and governments and by adapting our products to local needs. Voi’s holistic Environmental Action Plan tackles emissions and promotes renewable energy use and circularity along its supply chain.
Voi operates in over 100 towns and cities across 12 countries. It is headquartered in Stockholm and employs 1,000 people. To date, Voi boasts more than seven million riders and has served more than 150+ million rides.
