Micromobility firm Dott has launched an innovative partnership with bike-sharing company Baqme to deploy e-bikes and e-cargo bikes in the city of Ghent, Belgium.
The aim is to bring more diverse populations into micromobility by offering a range of vehicle form factors. A permit was awarded by the city of Ghent following Dott’s recent win in the city’s competitive tender process that resulted in only three permitted operators.
Dott’s CEO and Co-Founder Henri Moissinac told Zag Daily: “We know scooters aren’t for everyone, but sustainable transportation should be. We’ve taken action by partnering with the city of Ghent and Baqme to deliver more eco-friendly options for more riders. This first-of-its-kind permit gives riders the choice between e-bikes and e-cargo bikes, allowing us to bring more people into our mission of clean rides for everyone.”
Dott will initially deploy 200 e-bikes in the city centre to ensure safe user uptake. This will steadily increase to 600 e-bikes over the course of June, while simultaneously increasing the service area boundaries.
The e-cargo bikes, which will gradually increase to 100 vehicles over the summer, gives Ghent residents the ability to transport items that matter most.
“With a shared vision of a world where cities are designed for people, not cars, Baqme found a natural partner in Dott for the launch of our first service outside of the Netherlands,” said Berenice van Gessel, a Co-Founder of Baqme.
“The addition of our fleet of e-cargo bikes will give Ghent residents more options to move sustainably around their city, helping them replace car trips even when they’re travelling with groceries, luggage or personal items.”
A study by Dott and UK-based Steer Group in May 2022, which surveyed women across France, Italy and the UK, found that one of the top three barriers preventing women from using micromobility was the inability to safely carry personal items.
The mixed e-bike and e-cargo bike fleets aims to provide alternative solutions that expand micromobility’s reach.
To encourage maximum uptake, Dott is offering unlimited free rides every weekend in June using promocode ‘ILOVEGENT’, while Baqme is offering one free ride lasting up to one hour using code ‘HIGENT’.
All vehicle repairs and maintenance will be handled in-house by specialists at Dott’s warehouses.
