Voi, the Sweden-based e-scooter company has gained an exclusive contract to launch its revolutionary mobility service to the West Midlands in the UK. The company will work hand-in-hand with Transport for West Midlands and come up with an exciting way to reach 5.9 million residents in the region. The trial will cover the largest European market awarded by tender to a single operator.
Partnership with West Midlands
As a part of the partnership with West Midlands, Voi offers e-scooter rides at £1 to unlock and £0.20 per minute. Also, it creates over 120 FTE jobs and integrates completely with the local transport system that works along with Network West Midlands, Swift Mobile and NetNav.
Voi subscriptions can be obtained for £10 per day or £40 per month along with subsidised Voi-4-All Passes for the low-income groups at a cost of £10 per month. It also supports key workers with free rides and provides support to local businesses and lets them extend delivery services.
The distinctive coral e-scooters from Voi will hit the streets of Birmingham and Coventry this month. Later, the same will be available in other locations. The partnership between Voi and West Midlands follows that of Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Northamptonshire. In these regions, Voi will launch its e-scooters and e-bike sharing schemes. The first e-scooters are up for hire on the Northamptonshire streets. With the launch of this service, Voi now operates in over 45 cities across 11 European countries.
Safety is a priority!
Under this partnership, an online traffic school, #RideLikeVoila has been launched for local riders. It provides incentives that will encourage riders to take a course before they start riding. Also, the company provides safety helmets and pop-ups at special events along with rider training.
Moreover, adapting to the new normal, the company continues to rollout the Shieldex Copper-Tape to handlebars of the e-scooters. It is touted to kill 99.98% of coronavirus on contact. Furthermore, Voi also disinfects the e-scooters on a daily basis. The app provides safety tips to stay safe from COVID-19.
This partnership from Voi comes at a time when schools are open and normal activities have started to resume and there is a necessity for quick, convenient and COVID-19 safe mode of transportation.
Fredrik Hjelm, co-founder and CEO of Voi Technology, said, “We are delighted to announce that we will soon be offering the Voi e-scooter service in the West Midlands – a region that has played a significant role in the history of transport, from cars to rail and aviation. Today’s transport innovations are all about helping people to get out of their cars and making greener choices.
“We are seeing the biggest change in a hundred years for the way people travel and Voi is here to help the West Midlands make the most of the opportunity. We can’t wait to get started.”
Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, said, “The West Midlands is proud to be leading the way on future transport development, and it is great to be able to partner with Voi and reveal our plans for e-scooters across the region.”
“As well as the improvements to our transport network, e-scooters could also be a much needed boost for the region’s economy, helping to attract people back into our town and city centres. It is a great coup for the West Midlands to be at the forefront of the Government’s e-scooter trial, and I look forward to continuing to work with Voi and local authorities to make sure we maximise the potential of e-scooters across the region.”
Main image picture credits: Voi
