A few months after Poppy decided to remove hundreds of electric scooters from Antwerp, a new player has entered the market – Bolt.
The Estonian company launched a fleet of 1,000 scooters in the city centre on Monday, joining Lime and Voi. Bolt was already active in cities such as Brussels, Ghent, Namur, Liège, and Charleroi.
Antwerp is known for its strict regulations on shared mobility, a stance held by the city’s previous mayor. Bolt seems eager to address these concerns.
"We have established strict conditions for public order and safety," said the responsible alderman, Koen Kennis. "In certain zones, the speed can be limited." Bolt also plans to integrate helmets into the system and discourage riding with two people or under the influence. This will be managed through cognitive tests in the app before starting a ride.
"We are grateful to the city of Antwerp for the trust and look forward to promoting responsible riding habits for micromobility," said Marc Naether of Bolt. "By opting for distance-based pricing, we encourage safer riding."
Last year, Antwerp’s bike-sharing system, Velo, set a record with just over seven million rides registered in 2024. Experts believe that multimodal transport, combining public transport and shared bikes, could effectively reduce car usage. The City of Antwerp pays 4.5 million euros annually to Clear Channel, the operator of Velo.
