U.S. firm launches electric scooter service in Belgium

U.S. firm launches electric scooter service in Belgium

The California-based start-up Lime announced on Friday the launch of its electric scooter service in Brussels and Antwerp. The scooters, which are being made available on a self-service basis, are a “quick, easy” means of transport for short journeys in town, the company said.

About 500 will be available in Brussels and around 50 in Antwerp. The two cities were chosen for their high rates of traffic congestion. According to a study by the Vias road safety institute, Brussels residents lose on average close to 44 minutes per day to traffic jams and Antwerp residents a little more than half an hour, Lime recalled.

The start-up’s general manager, Benjamin Barnathan, said his company wanted to encourage people to adopt another means of transport in urban centres, a sustainable one that allows for reduced dependence on cars, especially for short distances.

The electric scooters will be available each day from 7.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m, for users aged at least 18 years. They can be rented using the Lime application, which is downloadable onto a smart phone and costs 1 euro to activate.

The scooters cost 0.15 cent per minute to use. Their maximum speed is 24 km/hour and they can go without charging for about 50 kms.


The Brussels Times


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