Wind, an e-scooter company that already operates in Europe and Asia, is bringing a fleet to Brussels.
The company plans to launch 500 scooters in Brussels in the coming days.
In an interview with The Brussels Times Catriona Meehan, the head of government relations and policy for Wind, said that Brussels was the most progressive city the company had worked with. In multiple meetings with Brussels Mobility, the company and the city discussed the concerns around e-scooter parking. Some Brussels municipalities have asked for full bans on scooter parking, but Brussels Mobility kept parking available for the company.
In the last meeting between Brussels Mobility and Wind, Meehan said the city emphasised keeping streets accessible for those with disabilities.
Brussels asked the company to ensure its scooters were not parked against buildings because people who are blind use them to help them navigate the city.
Even though Brussels is already home to several e-scooter and e-bicycle operators, Meehan said there is still room for other mobility companies. Wind is starting out in a small area, but there will be opportunities for the company to expand if it so chooses.
"We don't want to go in and throw scooters in an area," Meehan said.
In regards to scooter charging and storage, the company is contracting with a private service provider in Brussels who will pick up the scooters and store them in a warehouse, which, per Brussels policy, must be green energy certified. Other providers hire individuals to go around the city to collect and charge the scooters at the end of the day.
This will give Wind more control over where scooters are placed at the beginning of every day, Meehan said, and will allow it to better comply with Brussels' scooter parking policies.
Meehan also said that Brussels Mobility provided Wind with a parking map so the product team can incorporate parking restrictions into the user app.
Sam Nelson
The Brussels Times
