Estonian start-up offers solution to smart scooter pavement chaos

The world’s first public smart scooter parking lot, which enables users to lock and load all e-scooters, has been unveiled by an Estonian start-up, Bikeep, at the Smart City World Congress in Barcelona.

“Bikeep’s parking lot is the first of its kind as it allows users to lock and load all e-scooters, regardless of their manufacturer or service provider, which has not been possible until now,” said Kristjan Lind, the CEO of Bikeep. “Our scooter stations are designed to improve the usability of the micro mobility devices: scooters in our parking lots are easily accessible yet securely locked to protect them from vandals and do not require daily pick-up for loading.”

Over the past couple of years, electric scooters have occupied the sidewalks of metropolitan cities across the world as these are believed to be the next big disruptors in last mile transportation. Aside from improving urban mobility however, the heavy usage of electric scooters has triggered complaints of clutter, blocked pavements and potential danger to pedestrians. Being dockless and unlocked, scooters are also easy targets for vandals, resulting in financial losses for e-scooter sharing companies.

Bikeep, which was founded in 2013 and has installed its smart, secure Bikeep stations for conventional bikes in more than nine countries, was one of 11 start-ups from Estonia at the event, all providing technological solutions for sustainable urbanisation.

Head of the Estonian delegation at Expo World Congress Kairit Sikkal from Enterprise Estonia said that the country is the perfect breeding ground for technological start-ups like Bikeep that are providing sustainable solutions for urbanisation and smart cities.

“Estonia is a hometown of innovation having a significant experience in building a digital society and economy, having 99 per cent of its services online, providing its citizens online voting and an e-school system. All 11 start-ups presented at the Estonian joint-stand have the potential to become disruptors in their field,” said Sikkal.

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Photo: Bikeep