E-scooters will become the go-to mobility solution in Brussels, and around the world, when the lockdown measures are lifted, according to experts and shared-mobility companies.
When the lockdown lifts, cities and their inhabitants will face a mobility problem, as people will be asked to respect the social distancing measures, but authorities worry that the use of cars could create important congestion problems.
The global shared e-scooter market will experience a boom over the next four years, with the number of shared scooters in use expected to quadruple, from about 774,000 in 2019 to more than 4 million by 2024, according to new figures from market analysis firm Berg Insight.
In the Brussels region, an additional 40 kilometres of cycling paths will also be created, to help ease public transport flows in the phasing out of the lockdown.
Even before the health crisis, e-scooters were gaining in popularity, with their sales being on the rise since August 2019, and they should overtake those of electric bicycles this year, according to experts.
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In March, Lime and Uber pulled their vehicles from the streets to avoid spreading the coronavirus in Brussels.
While no announcements have been made about when the companies will return their scooters and bikes to the streets of Belgium's capital city, sharing mobility operators are preparing to restart their activity from 11 May, in Paris, reports Le Monde.
Jump will put its 5,000 bicycles back on the streets in the French capital, and Lime will do the same with its 7,700 scooters. Other companies such as Tier and Dott have also announced their return.
“There was a strong drop with the lockdown, but at the same time, we sense that a good number of French people are looking for different mobility solutions,” Jean Ambert, CEO of Smart Mobility Lab, told NewMobility.
To reassure clients, shared-mobility companies are implementing new health protocols. “All bicycles will be sanitized before being put back into service on 11 May. Then, they will be cleaned every day with anti-bacterial spray,” ensured Jump.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
