Cape Town’s getting electric scooters, but there’s a catch

Yeah, we’ve got Uber and Bolt, but Africa has been slow in adopting electric scooters (or simply e-scooters). Well, the micromobility operator, Lime, will launch e-scooters in the city of Cape Town early next year. 

We know what you’re thinking — it won’t work in South Africa. They’ll get stolen, vandalised and won’t be returned to the terminals. Which is why Lime has decided to deploy the service in privately-owned locations and businesses. So no sidewalk scooting just yet. 

But it’s a start

In the US and in Europe, Lime’s scooters are available to use by the public on the sidewalks. You decide you need to use a scooter, find a terminal, then use the app to order one and presto! Off you go. Scooters then have to be placed in another terminal after you’re done with them, and the rental cost is charged to a debit- or credit card. 

The main reason for going scoot is to reduce overall carbon emissions and traffic. And let’s be honest, Cape Town can do with fewer cars on its narrow roads. Unfortunately, the city isn’t quite ready for e-scooters in public places yet. 

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a step in the right direction. South Africa is a country that lacks proper, sustainable public transport and many people rely on cars or unsafe taxi’s to get around. Maybe scooters will motivate more people to live closer to work and commute that way. 

Source: TechCrunch