Bolt electric scooters to appear in Kyiv: Bolt (former Taxify) transport service kicks off rental service in test mode from November 21. This is the first such service in Ukraine. Representatives of the company told this to AIN.UA.
At First – Test Period
Until the spring of 2020, the Bolt electric scooter rental service will only be available at UNIT.City (you can travel around the park). At first, there will be 20 scooters. The company promises to increase the number in the future.
Following the official launch scooters will be available for rental in the city center, as well as near transport hubs and popular places. The company said that an official launch will take place in the spring of 2020, as soon as it is warm outside again.
Later, Bolt plans to launch scooters in Odesa and Lviv.
How is it going to work
Finding a place to rent a scooter will be possible in the same application used to hail a taxi – Bolt (Android / iOS). An updated version of the affordable electric scooter rental app will appear today.
In order to rent an electric scooter, you will have to do the following:
- Locate it with a map available in Bolt application.
- Unlock it by scanning the QR code via the application.
- After the trip is over, indicate its completion in the application. After that, the money for use will be debited from the card.
- Leave the scooter in a safe place.
In the evening, company employees will collect scooters around the city, charge them and return to their usual locations by morning.
Scooter rental is available only for users who are 18+ years old. To ride a scooter, it is recommended to wear a helmet and use designated bicycle lanes.
Prices
Bolt electric scooters can be used for free in the near future.
The exact cost of using scooters in Kyiv will be published after the official launch of the project. According to a preliminary estimate, the use price will be 1 euro for unlocking and 1-2 UAH for 1 minute of travel.
Usually, the price of renting a scooter includes:
- Unlocking price
- Price per minute of use. If a user intends to use scooter a lot, they can pay for the entire day.
For example, the unlocking price in a number of European countries is 50 cents and 10 cents per minute of travel. Thus, for 10 minutes of the trip, you need to pay 1.50 euros. One full day rental in Tallinn, for example, costs 15 euros.
Bolt Electric Scooters
Currently, the company’s electric scooter fleet comprises of Segway NineBot ES4 scooters with a maximum speed of 25 km/h and a range of up to 45 km.
Why does Bolt want to launch the service
The company claims that every fourth Bolt trip in the world is less than 3 km long. There is no need to call a car for such a small distance because such a distance can be traveled by electric scooter instead.
Earlier Bolt service in Ukraine launched the courier delivery service by drivers. In 2020, in addition to an official launch of electric scooters, the company might also launch food delivery service Bolt Food.
