Voi boss wants to keep scooters in Liverpool for the “next 10, 15 years”

Fredrik Hjelm spoke to ECHO about the “success” of the micromobility company in the city

The boss of Voi Scooters hopes the company can maintain a presence in Liverpool for the next “10, 15 years” and plans to expand – if the new government plays along. Fredrik Hjelm told the ECHO that the rollout of the colourful electric vehicles has been a success for his company and the city since a trial began four years ago.

The Swede, who founded the micromobility company in 2018, said legislation needed to be revised to allow the group to continue expanding across the city and connecting transport hubs. Mr Hjelm also acknowledged that there would always be “a few black sheep” among users, as Voi had received complaints about some of its vehicles being left stranded on city streets.

The distinctive scooters took over areas after Liverpool Council’s CityBike scheme closed. A 2022 local government cabinet report said the size of the CityBike scheme was declining year on year, due to theft and vandalism, as well as a lack of funding to invest in new bikes.

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As a result, the scheme became, as the council described it, “unsustainable” due to annual losses of around £300,000 per year. As a result, Voi stepped into the breach under a government trial scheme that was originally due to end in November 2021.

This deadline has been extended to March 2022 to take into account the slower start due to the pandemic. The trials have also been extended until the end of May 2024.

Last November, the Department of Transport announced a further extension of the trial operation until May 2026. Mr Hjlem said more than seven million trips had been made across the city since then.

He said: “Liverpool is a fantastic city and we are represented in over 100 cities across Europe. We saw a fast-developing, progressive city with lots of students, which is a bit behind on cycling infrastructure and under-developed compared to cities outside Europe.

“There are decision-makers like Steve Rotheram who want to move forward with green, sustainable and inclusive transport in the future, and micromobility plays a part in that. We were very excited about Liverpool and after four years and seven million journeys, our expectations have been proven right.”

Mr Hjelm is in Liverpool as part of the Slush’d start-up conference and to lobby ministers during the Labour Party conference currently taking place in the city. The Transport Secretary explained why he believes the vehicles have struck a chord with city users and how he hopes to see further change.

He said: “I think what you typically see when you look at construction activity in Liverpool is a massive uptake among students, which is very positive. We also see a city where public transport is good, okay, but it doesn’t connect all places in Liverpool.

“Since day one we have deployed our latest generation of vehicles and technology which creates a better user experience and therefore a better product offering. We want to expand our operations and that is one of the conversations we have had with the Mayor but he can’t do that at the moment because it has been decided in London and there is no legislation for e-scooters and the regulations for e-bikes are a bit vague so he can’t at the moment even if he wanted to.

“That’s the most important thing for the micromobility industry to flourish in the UK. That and the issue of private e-scooters. They are illegal even though a million of them have already been sold, that doesn’t work.”

“The legislation needs to be designed so that local decision-makers can decide what they want to do in their region. They need to legalize private e-scooters within certain definitions and requirements. That would create a better environment for everyone. Companies like us can invest for the next five, ten years, which would benefit cities, citizens and riders.”

While the scheme has been widely praised since it was introduced four years ago, residents and businesses have often expressed frustration that some users appear to park the scooters incorrectly, often outside workplaces and homes. Mr Hjelm acknowledged the problem and explained how Voi is trying to improve the situation.

He said: “I would say, firstly, we are aware and secondly, the situation has improved significantly since 2020 and 2021. Both are thanks to the great cooperation with the joint authority and the city with designated parking spaces. Now parking is mandatory and we have set up geofences, that helps a lot.

“There is still a lot to do and there will always be black sheep, but overall, having travelled around Liverpool a bit now, it looks pretty tidy and much better. We never ask cities to make big investments in infrastructure similar to the old public cycling systems where they park their bikes, that doesn’t make sense anymore.

“Geofencing is much cheaper and more flexible because when you build infrastructure, the infrastructure is there and you don’t have to move it a few months later because of an event or construction or something like that. With geofencing, you can do that and the drivers are responsible for it.”

Although the scheme began as a trial four years ago, nothing has changed for the company in terms of its long-term future in the city. Looking ahead, Mr Hjelm said his company is firmly committed to having a presence in Liverpool.

He added: “Liverpool is already a great city for us and the drivers. It can become an even better city if we create the right framework and rules on a permanent basis. We would like to stay in Liverpool, we want to stay in Liverpool not just for four years, but for 10, 15 years and with the necessary investment.”

“We have lots of ideas about how we can improve the scheme when it comes to expanding the fleet and operations, increasing the number of e-bikes, which are very popular with older users. It goes back to current legislation, even if we want to, the combined authority wants to, we can’t because it’s the responsibility of London and the Department for Transport.”