Owned by ride-sharing company Bolt, 150 shared electric scooters came to Dinant on 2 May, according to Belga News Agency. They are the first scooters to be seen in the city, which has established stricter rules for the riding company.
Bolt is expanding its presence across Belgium. Its electric scooters are now visible in four cities, including Brussels, Ypres, Namur, and Dinant.
The rules in Dinant may not be the same as in many other cities across Europe.
Back in January, in anticipation of the arrival of e-scooters in the city, local authorities adopted a charter to regulate the new e-transport sector.
In addition to rules that would ordinarily apply to bicycles or private vehicles, Bolt and other companies must now comply with rules established by the city of Dinant.
Scooters cannot be parked at random throughout the city. Instead, scooters must be left in dedicated parking areas.
If Bolt’s scooters are parked outside of these areas, the company has 24 hours to collect them. In the event that the scooters are parked dangerously, they must be picked within the hours, the city stipulates.
If Bolt’s scooters are not left in these designated areas, then they will not deactivate and the customer will continue to be charged.
The shared e-scooters will be limited to a maximum speed of 25 kilometres per hour. On Dinant’s iconic Croisette, however, they will be further limited to 18 kilometres per hour.
The city of Dinant is also keen to monitor the impact of scooters on the city’s mobility. Bolt and other future competitors will have to share data with the local municipality, so that the impact of the transport can be analysed.
The city has established a perimeter for the scooters, from Place d’Anseremme to Bovignes. Scooters will also be available to ride in the Gemechenne and hospital areas.
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Electric scooters have been at the centre of debate in Europe since their arrival in summer 2018. In Belgium, e-scooter users got into over 1,000 accidents in 2021. Flanders also witnessed a marked increase in fatalities from traffic-related incidents with the scooters.
Proponents of the scooters, however, view the devices as a carbon-friendly alternative to private transportation. Bolt claims that, since 2019, all Bolt rides in Europe are 100% carbon-neutral.
