The number of shared scooters in Tilburg has been almost halved. There are now about 400 people in the city, as of September 1 there are still 250 split between two providers. This means that GO Sharing, currently the only provider, will have to remove about 275 electric scooters. Last year, there were more than a thousand disturbing reports about shared electric scooters, which is why the municipality is taking action.
Shared scooters from GO Sharing, Felyx, Check and Tier, among others, have become a familiar concept in the cities of Brabant since 2020. The principle is simple: using an app on your phone, you log into the service and using the same app, you open the nearest scooter, Then you can drive it from A to B. Then you pay for the distance traveled.
1000 complaints
Shared scooters are put to good use, because last year there were half a million rides in Tilburg. At the same time, the municipality received more than a thousand annoying complaints about the two wheels of the sole provider GO Sharing.
The popularity of the service has caused scooters to be left everywhere. Vandalism often occurs on driveways. Electric shared scooters that get set on fire, end up in a ditch or even put in shopping carts are no exception. There is even an entire Instagram account dedicated to him.
three suppliers
The municipality of Tilburg is now stepping in and setting up a strict policy. From September 1, there will be room for three purveyors, but there will be fewer scooters. GO Sharing is only allowed to offer 125 Shared Electric Scooters and 125 Shared Electric Scooters. There are currently between 350 and 400 GO scooters to share in and around Tilburg.
New arrivals in Tilburg are the Felyx with a shared dark green 125 electric scooter and the Ride Dott, which makes the 125 bikes available in Tilburg. All three companies are allowed to grow 50 two-wheelers every six months, but only if the inconvenience does not increase. The requirements for the permit are clear:
- Improperly stopped or broken scooters must be repaired or assembled within 24 hours.
- All scooters and bicycles must be damage-free and safe.
- Companies are responsible for proper parking.
- It should be impossible to stop the car incorrectly via the software.
Report inconvenience
Newcomer Felyx says he can meet all the conditions. “In many cities, we solve problems with improperly parked scooters within 24 hours.”
Tilburg municipality actively enforces illegal parking in the city center. “We’re doing the rest of the city based on the reports.” The fine is €70 or €100 for a scooter that has been parked incorrectly, depending on the location and the hazard. Felyx says it will redirect these fines to the user.
There is no policy yet
Electric shared scooters are fairly new. Until recently, Tilburg and many other cities lacked clear rules. For example, Breda and Dean Bush are still developing new policies. Eindhoven has had strict permit rules for some time now.
“We just want to continue providing this service, because Tilburg deserves clean shared mobility,” the municipality spokesperson explains. He asserts that scooters and shared bikes help make the city more sustainable. At the same time, inconvenience must be minimized and this requires rules.”
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