BOLT ENTERS SCOTLAND: Ride-hail firm Bolt launches in Edinburgh

Image credit : Bolt

Bolt - one of the UK’s largest ride-hailing apps, with 4 million passengers - is crossing the border into Scotland with its latest launch in Edinburgh, as it continues its rapid expansion across the UK.

Bolt was founded in 2013 and currently has 4 million customers across the UK. The company says it has a mission to reduce personal vehicle ownership and increase availability of more sustainable modes of transport.

The launch will see the company try to support the city in its bid to be a "Million Tree City" by 2030 with a £20,300 donation to the TreeTime Edinburgh initiative, run by Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust.

As part of the partnership and to mark its commitment to the second greenest city in the UK, Bolt’s donation will help the charity to replace a number of lost trees in the city.

Trees have been felled in urban areas for a number of reasons, but through its donation, Bolt will help to replace larger strategically positioned trees, as well as contributing to extending and enriching woodland areas and parks that surround the city with young saplings.

With a number of larger trees being planted roadside, they will serve as a reminder to residents of the importance of the environment and the issue of carbon emissions in the city.

Image credit : Bolt

Sam Raciti, Bolt’s UK General Manager, said: “Launching into Edinburgh and Scotland is a big step for Bolt. We take our responsibility in supporting the communities we operate within seriously and it was only right that we helped support the sustainability goals of the UK's second greenest city through our partnership with TreeTime Edinburgh. We can’t wait to offer residents an affordable and responsible way to get around the city they love."

Charlie Cumming, CEO at Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust, said: “Edinburgh’s trees are a major part of the local landscape and some of the capital’s most famous landmarks, parks and streets would not be the same without them. We’ve calculated that the city needs to be planting roughly 6,500 trees every year to compensate for the trees we lose due to disease and Bolt’s donation and commitment will help us significantly. We’re very pleased to be working with a company like Bolt that shares the same values and commitment to our local environment.”