You'd be forgiven for thinking that Brussels already has enough electric scooters, with the devices frequently littering pavements and the cause of accidents. But there's a new player is in town in the “micro-mobility” market as Gliize brought its scooters to Brussels last week.
Following in the steps of Lime (Uber), Dott, Bird, Bolt, Pony, Voi, and Tier, Gliize is the eighth brand to come to the Belgian capital.
In a market saturated with competitors, many locals have complained that scooters are a nuisance – whether due to users leaving them improperly parked on the pavement or riding irresponsibly. Unlike Paris, Brussels has no plans to ban electric scooters which have become an important part of urban mobility.
New rules for parking and using hire e-scooters have been adopted by the regional Parliament and should come into force this summer.
Same deal, different colour?
Gliize scooters can be recognised by their bright light blue design. Unlike other scooter companies, the Belgian company is also aiming to work with the corporate sector to provide employees with their own personal corporate scooters which can only be unlocked by the user.
The two founders of the company want to extend their service to other cities in Belgium as well. Currently, around 1,000 of the company's scooters are available to rent through their mobile app in the capital.
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“We are sitting around the table with other cities to see what is possible; they are responding positively to our approach. I am convinced that micro-mobility is a positive thing, despite the controversies that exist today,” one of the founders told Bruzz.
