Free e-Scooter Rides for Vaccinations Offered in Italy and Spain

Paul Myles

TU-Editor

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29th April 2021

Vaccine eligible people worried about using public transport in Spain and Italy during the pandemic are being offered millions of free e-scooter rides.

Micro mobility provider, Superpedestrian, is giving away €10M ($12M) in free rides on its LINK shared e-scooter to enable citizens to reach vaccination centers. Free rides will be made available in all European cities currently served by the scooters, including Rome, Madrid, Turin, Palermo, Málaga and Alcalá de Henares. The total scope of free rides has been calculated by assessing the number of people in each city eligible for vaccinations who would also be likely to choose a shared e-scooter as a transportation method for a short journey.

This program will be of particular benefit to people living in low-income communities and most likely unable to afford anything other than public transport. The company’s user data has revealed that, for example in the US city of Seattle, 15% of all journeys on its scooters began or ended in disadvantaged areas.

Haya Verwoord Douidri, vice-president (EMEA) at Superpedestrian, said: “We’re so grateful to the courage of medical staff who continue to work tirelessly to safeguard communities. We already provide free rides for these heroes, so now is the time to help residents play their part by getting to vaccination appointments. Our free rides campaign represents significant investment, following a similar roll-out in our US markets, and will help protect the health of many people across Spain and Italy.”

— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_