Another e-bike operator is gearing up to launch in the capital this summer, set to add thousands more bikes to London’s existing fleet of 50,000.
Bolt, which operates Europe’s largest scooter and e-bike fleet in Europe, will be joining the lives of Lime, Forest and Voi which are already in service in London.
The move marks a first for the UK as Bolt will become the only platform to offer a fully-owned multi-modal transport service, with both ride-hailing and e-bikes operated by a single company and available within the same app.
Bolt has said it will be working closely with local authorities to ensure public safety, including Transport for London.
Kimberly Hurd, senior general manager at Bolt UK and Ireland, said: "London is one of the largest e-bike rental markets in the world, and Bolt is already the largest scooter and e-bike provider in Europe with over 230,000 vehicles in more than 270 cities.
"We’ve seen in other countries that giving people multiple transport options in one app helps reduce private car use and makes cities more liveable, reducing congestion and lowering emissions. This is just the start of our micro mobility journey in the UK, and we look forward to expanding in the months ahead."
E-bikes have recently been the centre of a great deal of controversy — particularly around safety, legality, and regulation — with many describing the current situation as a “Wild West” where dockless bikes are carelessly strewn across pavements and left haphazardly parked.
Councils across the capital have received thousands of complaints about the electric bicycles, which riders pick up on the street and rent via a phone app, after they exploded in popularity in recent years.
Users are not usually required to park them in a designated area after use, meaning they are often dumped to clog up pavements and roads.
It has prompted some boroughs to introduce fines and even threaten to ban cycle hire companies, such as Lime, from their streets altogether. However imposing restrictions has been difficult because rules vary across the city’s 33 local authorities.
Westminster sees the highest number of e-bike hires in the world, with 630,000 trips taking place in the borough every month. The council has installed 360 parking bays and welcomed new powers to crackdown on operators.
Bolt has claimed that its approach to parking and safety has reduced improper parking in Stockholm by 69%.
Will Norman, London’s walking and cycling commissioner, prasied the launch and said it will provide Londoners with “even more sustainable and convenient ways to get around.”
“The mayor and I welcome government plans to give cities powers to better manage dockless e-bike schemes,” he said.
“It is vital improved safety sits at the heart of any future regulation so these schemes work well for everyone and the industry thrives.”
