Even more e-scooters in Berlin

Berlin – The e-scooter fleet in Berlin continues to grow. From this Tuesday on, electric scooters from Bolt can also be rented in the capital. The turquoise-green two-wheelers are to be set up on Monday night, said Balthasar Scheder, the head of the Estonian company in Germany, of the Berliner Zeitung. In the first phase there will be almost 2,000 e-scooters that can be used via app, as is customary in the industry. This brings the total number of these vehicles in Berlin to over 26,000. In the course of the year, Bolt plans to add more e-scooters, depending on demand.

Berlin is one of nine German cities in which Bolt will be represented from Tuesday. The other eight are Potsdam, Nuremberg, Fürth, Hamburg, Frankfurt am Main, Munich, Stuttgart and Cologne. A total of around 15,000 e-scooters will be set up. The company intends to expand further in Germany by the end of the year. The number of German cities in which Bolt rents e-scooters is expected to grow to more than 30 and the number of vehicles will exceed 30,000. “It is Bolt’s largest single country expansion to date,” said Scheder, who previously worked for competitor Tier Mobility.

Pedestrian lobby speaks of “mobility garbage”

The time to start in Berlin has been chosen carefully. “We are assuming that the number of tourists in Berlin will soon increase again significantly,” said Bolt’s Germany boss. “Relaxation of the corona measures and an increasing vaccination rate are contributing to the fact that the demand for e-scooters will increase.” Locals are already making increasing use of micromobility offers, including small vehicles. “During the pandemic, many people avoid public transport. You use other mobility offers. “

However, Bolt is not the only provider. E-scooters are already available on many sidewalks and squares – to the chagrin of many pedestrians who mock the obstacles. The German Pedestrian Association (FUSS) speaks of “mobility garbage”. On the other hand, other discussants point out that the number of cars registered in Berlin is significantly higher at more than 1.2 million.

So far, Lime, Bird, Voi and Tier have been active in Berlin – with 24,500 e-scooters. “Of course Berlin is a very competitive market,” said Scheder. “But as Germany’s largest city, Berlin plays an important role in our expansion strategy.” Not only that the German capital will be a tourist metropolis again after the pandemic has subsided: Many locals are also open to new forms of mobility. Because some people are afraid of being infected with the corona virus in public transport, alternatives are in demand.

Like the other providers, Bolt will primarily offer its vehicles in the city center, said Scheder. But the company’s e-scooters will also be available for rent in Spandau. “Part of our strategy is to offer our vehicles not only in city centers, but also outside the center and in peripheral areas.”

The Germany boss of Bolt knows that there is a lot of criticism of incorrectly parked sharing vehicles, especially in Berlin. The users are obliged to photograph the parked vehicle at the end of each journey and to store the recording in the bolt system, he said. In order to prevent e-scooters from being parked in certain areas, no parking zones could be defined. Citizens can report complaints to Bolt in three ways: on the customer line, on the website, and by email.

As reported, the red-red-green coalition aims to regulate the sharing industry in Berlin. MPs want to amend the Berlin Road Act before the election in September. The draft law provides for the setting up of e-scooters, rental bicycles, car sharing cars and other sharing vehicles for special use on public roads. For this purpose, permits will be required in the future, which should only be available after an award procedure. In addition, fees will be paid differently in the future than they are today. The industry criticizes the plans and proposes a declaration of self-commitment instead.

Not to be confused with Usain Bolt’s company

“Of course, new offers shouldn’t be dead-regulated,” replied Balthasar Scheder. “The fact that the offering of sharing vehicles can be classified as a special use of public roads that requires a permit and is chargeable is nothing new, however. Düsseldorf and Bremen have already made corresponding regulations. We use cost advantages because we are extremely efficient and profitable as a provider. The vehicles that we design in Tallinn and then rent out are manufactured at our own production facility in China. “

Bolt was founded in 2013 in the Estonian capital Tallinn. Initially, the start-up from the Baltic States competed with the US travel agent Uber under the name Taxify. It is now also active in the field of micromobility in Eastern Europe. In Africa, Bolt sends out food. Daimler is one of the investors in the company, which now wants to expand vigorously. “The large number of providers shows that Western Europe is an attractive market for micromobility. This is especially true for Germany, ”explains Balthasar Scheder.

Bolt should not be confused with Bolt Mobility, the e-scooter provider of the ex-world-class sprinter Usain Bolt from the USA. There was already a name dispute in Paris – in which the eight-time Olympic champion was defeated. At least visually, the vehicles are not to be confused: The Usain Bolt electric scooters are bright yellow.

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