Ride-hailing firm Bolt to apply for e-scooter access in London under new TfL scheme

Image credit: Bolt

Ride-hailing firm, Bolt, is applying to operate electric scooters in London under the latest Transport for London (TfL) tender that was announced last week.

Bolt is one of the largest ride-hailing operators in London and has said it will be the "only applicant able to offer a multi-modal network for London, under one brand in one application".

The India based company has said a recent survey of thousands of Bolt riders, revealed that half (50.4 per cent) of Londoners would opt for an electric scooter for their short journeys (up to 5km) instead of a private-hire vehicle - if this holds true, the firm says it would save 6.5 million kg of CO2 emissions each year.

In September Bolt announced its commitment to become climate positive (carbon negative) in its electric scooter operations by the end of 2020.

Bolt currently operates globally in 150 cities across 35 countries. Bolt’s ride-hailing service has been operating in London for 2 years, and has approximately 50,000 drivers accepted onto the platform.

Bolt currently operates 30,000 e-scooters across 51 European cities. Bolt recently announced that it will become the largest micromobility provider in Europe next year with 130,000 scooters in more than 100 cities.

Matt Barrie, Country Manager, Rentals - UK&I, Bolt, said: “At Bolt, we successfully operate scooters in many cities across Europe and we’re excited to bring our technology and experience to the streets of London. Bolt already helps millions of Londoners get around the city each year, and alongside our growing ride-hailing service, Bolt scooters will unlock tremendous value in providing Londoners with the appropriate sustainable transportation option, to quickly, safely and affordably move around their city.”