Shared e-scooters have arrived in Ireland with the launch of a new scheme in Wexford today operated by mobility giant Bolt.
50 e-scooters hit the town’s streets with another 50 to follow.
Bolt already operates e-bike schemes in Wexford, Bray, Kilkenny, Carlow, Sligo, Portlaoise and Dun Laoghaire, as well as ride-hailing across Ireland.
Since regulations were passed in May, operators can now work with local authorities to provide shared e-scooters that adhere to best practice safety standards.
Aisling Dunne, Head of Public Policy for Ireland at Bolt, told Zag Daily: “We are super proud to launch Ireland’s first shared e-scooter scheme in Wexford. We have operated e-bikes here for over a year, and are excited to now offer additional micromobility options for people. Ireland has long been a priority for Bolt, and we believe shared mobility can play a role in making towns and cities more environmentally friendly, enabling transport options that can help towards meeting carbon emission targets. Bolt currently offers micromobility services in seven towns across the country, and we’re speaking to additional local authorities to see how we can continue to help people to move around in affordable, efficient and sustainable ways.”
A recent Bolt survey found that 62 percent of people in the South East said that they think e-scooters will help them connect to existing public transport links, while 59 percent said that introducing e-scooters would make them use their cars less.
Launching the scheme, James Lawless, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, said: “These kinds of ‘micromobility’ schemes offer the public a range of sustainable transport choices, which is a vital contribution to the decarbonisation of transport emissions.”
