Voi has rolled out an enhanced version of its ‘end of ride photo’ in-app feature in the UK, which aims to encourage users to park their e-scooters in a safe and appropriate manner.
Improper parking of e-scooters can create accessibility problems and unnecessary street clutter, which is why users of Voi will now be required to take and submit a photo of their parked scooter after each ride.
E-scooters must not be left lying down on the floor or parked in a way that is obstructing the pavement and causing an obstacle to pedestrians, strollers, or wheelchairs.
Voi’s support team will review the photos daily sent in by users, with anyone found not following these rules in the first instance being emailed a warning with an educational message. After the first warning, riders who park their e-scooters incorrectly will receive a £25 fine.
Since launching the enhanced feature, Richard Corbett, Voi’s General Manager for UK, Ireland, and Benelux, said that the company has seen a 70% improvement in good parking behaviour.
“Although the majority of our users tend to park their scooters properly, we want to encourage everyone to think before they park,” said Corbett. “We started to roll out the ‘end of ride photo’, and our data shows that in thousands of rides, only a very small minority of users had to be fined and that those who were fined have only been so once.
“Despite the small number of non-compliant riders, we have seen a 70% improvement in good parking behaviour with the introduction of this new feature. This indicates that people pay more attention to the way they park if a clear deterrent, such as a fine, is used to discourage them from inappropriate parking behaviour.”
Moving forward, Voi says it will continue to invest in education and reporting tools such as Captur or their Report-A-Scooter page, in-app features and other long term solutions such as parking racks or painted parking spaces that can have a positive impact on parking behaviour.
