Electric bikes and scooters launch with road pricing and drink-riding restrictions
Bolt has launched a new shared electric scooter and bike service across Liverpool, deploying 2,000 electric scooters and 150 e-bikes throughout the city with new anti-drunk-riding measures and road pricing.
The service, which went live on February 1, operates around the clock every day of the week and replaces the previous provider, Voi.
For the first time, residents in Speke and Garston will have access to shared scooters in their neighbourhoods, with e-bikes coming soon.
The expansion forms part of Liverpool City Council’s strategy to boost active travel options, citing both health and environmental benefits.
Currently, nearly two-thirds of journeys in Liverpool are made by car, producing close to half a million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
The council explained how it views e-scooters as a sustainable alternative that could ease congestion during peak travel periods.
As part of the new launch, Bolt has introduced a distance-based pricing option that charges riders per mile rather than per minute.
The company said this approach is intended to promote safer, more measured journeys by eliminating the temptation to speed through busy junctions or abandon scooters carelessly to save money.
The new scooters will have new safety restrictions, including tests to determine if the rider is intoxicated
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A maximum speed limit has been built into each vehicle, while AI-powered photo verification hopes to ensure users park correctly before ending their ride.
Additionally, riders must complete a test designed to detect intoxication before they can unlock a scooter.
These measures aim to address common complaints about shared micromobility schemes, including vehicles being left strewn across pavements and riders travelling at unsafe speeds.
Liverpool has also been selected as the first location in the UK to receive Bolt’s new solar-assisted shared e-bikes, which will be rolled out in phases over the coming weeks.
The new e-bikes save approximately 3.7 kWh of energy per bike annually
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Each bicycle has also been fitted with an integrated solar panel designed to extend battery life, with the technology expected to save approximately 3.7 kWh of energy per bike annually.
This equates to avoiding more than six battery swaps per year, which Bolt said will improve vehicle availability and reduce both operational downtime and environmental impact.
The e-bikes also incorporate regenerative braking technology, which converts energy generated during braking into electricity to help power the bicycle.
Councillor Steve Foulkes, chair of the transport committee at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, said: “Building on more than five years of our successful e-scooter scheme, this new partnership with Bolt marks the next chapter in our commitment to delivering a truly integrated transport network that’s greener and easier to use.
Riders will be subject to many restrictions when using the scooters, including speed limits and parking rules
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“In expanding services, we’re ensuring that micro-mobility is no longer just confined to the city centre, but a practical, daily tool for residents in neighbourhoods across Liverpool.”
Meanwhile, Councillor Dan Barrington explained that the authority acknowledged that e-scooters are “incredibly well used across Liverpool, and they provide a quick, sustainable way to travel throughout the city”.
He noted the service would provide “additional support for people working late at night when there is no public transport”.
Georgia Heathman, Bolt’s UK Policy Lead, said: “By expanding scooters and e-bikes across the entire city, introducing distance-based pricing, and rolling out our most advanced e-bikes to date, we’re making it much easier for people to get around while also reducing car traffic.”
