Shared micromobility giant Lime has partnered with Japanese insurance company Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI) to grow and promote the safe use of shared e-scooters in Japan.
The partnership comes after Lime deployed 200 e-scooters in Tokyo last month – its first Japanese city, marking the firm’s first expansion step across East Asia.
“This partnership with MSI is a major step for Lime’s presence in Tokyo, as it serves to validate our service and the future of micromobility in Japan,” Lime’s Country Manager and Head of Asia Pacific Terry Tsai told Zag Daily.
“Together with MSI, we’ll work to further introduce riders to e-scooters and help this mode grow as a sustainable, convenient and safe transport option. The focus on safety is key as we work to earn the trust of Japanese riders and cities over the long-term.”
Lime and MSI’s partnership comprises five key initiatives. These include introducing MSI’s compulsory automobile liability insurance, and voluntary property and personal insurance for electric micromobility services in Japan, to compensate riders in the event of an accident.
The pair will host safety seminars on traffic safety and risk management for Lime’s e-scooters, and they’ll also create a guidebook outlining safe usage, traffic regulations and insurance details that will be made available on Lime’s app and website.
Lime e-scooter ports (a privately-owned street-level space leased by operators for e-scooter parking) will be installed at partner companies using MSI’s business matching service. The aim of this is to provide users with convenient access to vehicles, increase e-scooter utilisation rates and expand clean transport.
Finally, Lime aims to use MSI’s partnership agreements with local governments to support its expansion into various regions, promote the use of e-scooters, and address urban issues such as the last-mile.
“In addition to insurance coverage for riders, the strategic value of MSI cannot be understated as we expect this partnership to yield significant benefits as Lime expands in Japan in the coming years.”
