Rotterdam's streets are abuzz with a diverse fleet of shared electric vehicles, offering residents and visitors alike sustainable transportation alternatives. From nimble e-scooters to family-friendly cargo bikes, the city's shared mobility options continue to expand, providing eco-conscious alternatives to traditional car travel.

Electric scooters

Rotterdam's electric scooter scene is primarily served by two providers: Check and Felyx. These companies offer emission-free vehicles that have become a common sight throughout the city. Both offer scooters (mopeds) with two speed options: up to 25 km/h (blue license plates) or 45 km/h (yellow license plates). A blue licence plate means you're allowed on the bike path, whereas a yellow licence plate means you need to drive on the road together with cars. Helmets are mandatory for all riders, regardless of the scooter’s speed.

Both services operate via apps, allowing you to rent a scooter, unlock it, and pay per minute of usage. The scooters are widely available across the city, and the coverage areas of Check and Felyx are fairly similar, focusing on Rotterdam and its surroundings. They both contribute to reducing traffic and pollution, offering a convenient, eco-friendly way to get around the city.

Electric bicycles

For those preferring pedal power, Rotterdam offers two main bicycle-sharing options: Lime and Donkey Republic.

Lime operates a fleet of shared electric bicycles in Rotterdam. These provide an assisted cycling experience, making longer journeys more manageable.

Donkey Republic offers both regular and electric bicycles, identifiable by their bright orange colour. Their pricing structure includes hourly rates and various membership options, with day deals available for longer rentals.

Both providers operate through mobile apps, allowing users to locate and unlock bicycles easily throughout the city.

Electric cargo bikes

For those needing to transport goods or children, Rotterdam offers two cargo bike options: BAQME and Cargoroo.

BAQME provides electric cargo bikes capable of carrying significant loads. These e-box bikes are suitable for transporting children, pets, or groceries, offering a practical alternative to car journeys for families and businesses alike.

Cargoroo also offers electric cargo bikes, focusing on family-friendly options. Their vehicles are designed to safely transport children, making them an attractive choice for families looking to reduce their car usage for short trips.

Both BAQME and Cargoroo's cargo bikes are equipped with child seats and safety features, making them suitable for family transport as well as general cargo.

City regulations

To manage the growth of shared mobility services, Rotterdam has implemented a permit system. The city allows for a specific number of shared vehicles, including mopeds and light mopeds. Providers must comply with specific guidelines to operate in the city, ensuring safety and minimising nuisance.

Future outlook

The landscape of shared electric vehicles in Rotterdam continues to evolve. While some providers may leave the market, new ones often emerge to take their place. The city remains committed to supporting shared mobility as part of its strategy to maintain accessibility and environmental friendliness.

As Rotterdam continues to innovate in urban mobility, these shared electric vehicles are likely to play an increasingly important role in the city's transportation ecosystem. Whether for commuting, leisure, or running errands, these options provide flexible and sustainable alternatives to traditional transport methods.

It is worth noting that the shared mobility landscape can change rapidly. Users are advised to check the latest information directly from service providers or the city of Rotterdam for the most up-to-date details on availability, pricing, and regulations.

ROTTERDAM, 7 May 2024 – Bolt has expanded its scheduled ride booking window in Rotterdam from 72 hours to 90 days, improving flexibility for residents, commuters, and visitors. This extended booking period addresses growing customer demand and enhances travel planning within the city and abroad.

Bolt extends scheduled ride bookings to 90 days

Bolt, a mobility platform, has expanded its window for scheduled ride bookings in Rotterdam, now allowing customers to plan their trips up to 90 days in advance. This change is in response to the increasing demand for pre-booked rides, which has grown by 30% each month.

Previously limited to a 72-hour booking window, this extension will enhance the travel planning experience for commuters travelling to meetings, those attending special events, and passengers heading to flights departing from Rotterdam The Hague Airport. It will also assist travellers leaving from Rotterdam Centraal Station. These expanded bookings aim to accommodate both individual and business customers, facilitating timely travel arrangements for meetings and better coordination for corporate guests attending events.

Noud Ottens, Country Manager at Bolt Netherlands, mentioned that extending the advance booking window reflects customer feedback. The company hopes to encourage the shift from private car ownership to shared mobility options.

ROTTERDAM, 13 February 2024 – A leap towards unified urban mobility, as a local platform brings all scooter sharing services under one digital roof.

umob pioneers in integrating all Dutch scooter sharing providers into a single app

In a notable development for the Netherlands' mobility landscape, the Rotterdam-based mobility platform umob has become the first Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform to fully integrate all Dutch scooter sharing providers. The platform's recent expansion to include Check, alongside existing partners such as Felyx, GO Sharing, public transport, taxis, and shared bicycles, now offers users access to 50,000 vehicles through a single application. This integration not only spans the Netherlands but also extends to major cities across Europe, with plans to further broaden coverage across the continent.

MaaS platforms are designed with the traveler in mind, consolidating various travel options within one application. Users can now navigate and transact with all service providers through the umob app, benefiting from the same rates as those offered directly by the providers. The inclusion of Check enhances user convenience in municipalities where scooter sharing is available, enabling easy booking and payment for transportation. The app's service portfolio also includes shared (cargo) bikes, public transportation, and taxis.

Bibi Jorissen, Managing Director of umob, emphasized the importance of providing a viable alternative to private vehicle ownership in cities and provinces. "To achieve this, a travel option should be available within a three-minute walk. While scooter sharing offers a solution within urban areas, the density of individual providers is insufficient. By amalgamating all scooter sharing services into one app, umob ensures the availability of a nearby scooter without the need to switch between different apps."

300,000 vehicles across Europe

With the addition of Check, umob now facilitates access to 50,000 vehicles throughout Europe, including in cities like Barcelona, Brussels, Lisbon, Paris, Madrid, Milan, and Rome. Through partnerships with international providers such as Cooltra, Bolt, and Donkey Republic, umob aims to expand its offering to 300,000 vehicles by 2024, thereby hosting the largest array of transportation options within Europe.

Jorissen highlighted the international demand for a comprehensive mobility platform: "Across Europe, solutions to mobility challenges in and between major cities are being sought. Our platform is part of this solution, and we deem it important to offer our services internationally. By collaborating closely with international mobility providers, we can quickly increase our offering in multiple countries and extend the benefits of our MaaS app."

Interested in checking out the umob app?

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.umob.umob
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/umob/id1639871537