February 26, 2020 – Over the last few days, we’ve seen a steady increase of Bolt electric scooters popping up in various locations around Split. So, what’s the deal?
Dalmatinski Portal writes that a new service from Europe’s leading on-demand transportation platform – Bolt Electric Scooters – was unveiled today in Split. Ivan Begovic, a specialist in operations at Bolt, spoke about the new service.
“One of our initiatives is the ‘Green Plan’, which aims to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and part of the project is the introduction of electric scooters in cities. So far, we have marketed these scooters in Madrid, Malaga, Faro, Tallinn and others, and we are trying to expand the number of cities. We are glad that Split is the first in Southeast Europe to receive this type of service. This would not have been possible without the cooperation with the City of Split, who allowed us to present this new service to you,” said Begovic, who then explained what kind of permit they had received from the City.
“We have a license from the City to test the vehicles, which is still valid today, and we will arrange further steps with the City to provide our service to the citizens of Split. The scooters will not be rented unless the City agrees. We have the right to have them today because they are legally considered pedestrians,” he added.
The option of renting and driving the e-scooters is already available to the citizens within the existing Bolt app. Unlocking the scooter costs 4 kuna, and each minute of use is 1 kuna and 30 lipa. Users can unlock the service free during the test period. Electric scooters are placed in specially designated locations within the city, and must not be left within protected areas and the old city center.
“The electric scooters drive at 20 kilometers per hour, and in certain locations such as Diocletian’s Palace, the speeds are limited. The Palace itself is an area where we have banned the use of electric scooters, and if used, there is a fine of HRK 300. The application will automatically fine you if you violate the movement in the restricted areas. We cannot prohibit users from bringing scooters to zones, but they can only be pushed in the area. Namely, in these zones you can drive it exclusively as a normal car. We encourage drivers to behave responsibly on the road, obey traffic rules and pay attention to the safety of the environment in which they are moving,” Ivan said, revealing locations where the cars are currently available.
“For now, the scooters are located at Matejuška, at the beginning of the Riva (bottom of the Pazar) and near Stari Plac. These are the locations for now. The electric scooters will be assembled, taken out for service and refueled in the evening to be ready for use the next day,” he concluded.
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