Irish micromobility start-up Zipp Mobility has completed its first week of e-scooter rental trials in the UK, with promising results.
Public rental bicycles have been a common sight in most major European cities for a long time, and in recent years a lot of cities have introduced public electric scooter rentals. Belfast's public bikes have proven very popular with tourists and locals alike, and the city could benefit considerably from the introduction of e-scooters.
Irish firm Zipp Mobility has just concluded its first week of UK public trials on its new e-scooter rental system in the town of Taunton in England. The firm began planning to expand into UK towns and cities when the UK government decided to overturn licensing laws for e-scooters, making it possible for the general public to rent them.
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The trial concluded with over 1,000 journeys being made in the first week of operation, and 1,211 new users signing up. Tests will continue in Taunton for the next 12 months despite any lockdowns, and may be rolled out to other councils throughout the UK in the future.
In order to adapt to Covid-19, Zipp Mobility has added anti-viral wraps to the handlebars of all of its e-scooters and instituted a regular cleaning system. The handlebars kill 99.98% of all viruses (including Covid-19) and a team based in the Zipp Mobility warehouse in Taunton cleans the e-scooters daily.
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Charlie Gleeson, CEO, Zipp Mobility said, "We are over the moon with the ridership levels we have seen in Taunton so far. They prove to us how beneficial a shared e-scooter scheme is to the local community and we are excited and optimistic to see how this trial turns out over the next 12 months. We are always looking to continuously improve our operations at Zipp so I am confident it will go from strength to strength."
Source: Written based on press release
