Voi offers e-scooter rides for free to help clean up cities on Clean Air Day

London, 14 June 2023: Shared e-scooter company Voi is offering free rides to help reduce air pollution in cities to mark Clean Air Day 2023.

Residents of Bristol, Cambridge, Liverpool, Northampton, Oxford, Portsmouth and Southampton can take advantage of a free 30 minutes e-scooter use valid from Clean Air Day, 15 June, until 30 June with code CLEANAIRDAY23.

It is estimated that air pollution in the UK contributes to the premature deaths of between 28,000 and 36,000 people every year (source: Defra. Air quality appraisal: damage cost guidance, July 2021).

E-scooters can help to reduce air pollution in cities by replacing short bus and taxi trips, and have been shown to cut commuting time by 47%, helping to reduce congestion as well.

Jack Samler, Voi general manager UK, Ireland and France, said, “We aim to transform how people move in cities, freeing us from car dependency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, working all the time to reduce the environmental impact of our value chain and operations in the process.

“This Clean Air Day we hope to really encourage that shift and that’s why we’re offering free e-scooter use, not only to help reduce air pollution, but to encourage new riders to have a go and see how easy and convenient it is to make the switch.”

Barbara Stoll, Director of the Clean Cities Campaign said: "Cities need to embrace all solutions that can liberate our urban environments from the clutches of traffic pollution and car dependency. As part of a wider set of solutions and properly regulated, shared e-scooters can become the wheels of change propelling our cities towards a more sustainable future as they can provide viable alternatives to car trips, taking cars off the streets and contributing to reducing toxic air pollution."

The offer is valid for 15-30 June, but must be redeemed by 28 June.

Ends

Notes to editors:

Statistics for air pollution related deaths in cities:

Bristol: 300 deaths per year (Clean Air Day for Bristol: www.cleanairforbristol.org/air-pollution/air-pollution-and-health/)

Cambridge: 48 deaths in 2022 (Cambridge City Council Air Quality Annual Status Report 2022)

Liverpool: 1040 deaths per year (IQAir: www.iqair.com/uk/england/liverpool)

Northampton: 102 deaths per year (Northampton Borough Council Northampton Low Emission Strategy (NLES) 2017 – 2025)

Oxford: one in 17 deaths in Oxford is related to air pollution. (https://www.oxford.gov.uk/news/article/2203/latest_report_on_2021_air_quality_levels_for_oxford_published)

Portsmouth: 100 per year ( https://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/2017/12/13/air-pollution-the-invisible-killer/#:~:text=According%20to%20Portsmouth%20City%20Council's,affecting%20the%20heart%20and%20lungs.)

Southampton: 110 deaths per year (https://www.southampton.gov.uk/moderngov/documents/s39732/Appendix%201.pdf)

For further information, please contact: 

Juliette Maxam, Senior PR manager, Voi UK, Ireland and France

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 11 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.