Bolt reveals usage of electric bike service from first year in Sligo

Shared mobility platform Bolt has revealed the extent to which its electric bike rental service has been used in its first year of operations in Sligo. Almost 6,000 unique users have taken 76,296 bike rides, equating to a staggering 153,741 kilometres ridden. This distance equals more than 370 round trips between Sligo and Dublin.

Aside from these impressive numbers, further analysis of the data unpacks the interesting ways in which the service is being used. For example, the longest ride ridden was an almighty 47 kilometres. Not to be outdone; however, one user completed an unbelievable 530 trips in a year.

It isn’t just Sligo or Irish residents that are utilising the helpful service – it’s proven a hit with tourists too. Almost 1000 of the 5,942 unique users had a phone number from overseas.

Not only has the service been well received by citizens, the same is true of local businesses too.

Bernadette Coffey, Sales & Marketing Manager at Sligo Park Hotel & Leisure Club: “There’s nothing like hopping on a Bolt bike, whether to see the sights or for a quick spin around town. Bolt’s service allows you to park up the car at Sligo Park and enjoy the rest of your holiday car-free if you wish. We’re delighted that our visitors, holiday-makers and staff can take advantage of the offering.”

Bolt’s aim is to offer a frictionless, comprehensive network that fits seamlessly into the lives of riders and pedestrians alike. Consequently, it engages with relevant groups – local authority active travel teams, councillors, residents, businesses, institutes such as universities – pre- and post-deployment of the bikes. The company is eager to continue to receive all forms of feedback at [email protected].

The data also reveals that traction with the service is particularly popular around public transport hubs, including near the train station. However, Bolt is constantly analysing usage in order to judge which parking locations are – or could be – helpful, as well as whether the amount of bikes deployed is relative to the level of demand.

Sligo Councillor Marie Casserley said: “It’s been such a positive partnership between Sligo County Council and Bolt and the statistics have proven that Sligo is ready to take the lead on a sustainable project such as this. Hopefully, many other local authorities will follow suit. It’s equally as beneficial to locals as well as visitors, and this has to be a good thing for the community of Sligo.”

Bolt also offers its shared electric bike rental in Kilkenny, Wexford and Bray to a combined 12,000 users. They’ve taken 115,000 rides amounting to 238,000 kilometres. Bolt is in talks with several other councils keen to accelerate their active travel services in line with the National Development Plan and the Climate Action Plan.

The company also offers taxis in Dublin and Cork. The recent launch of shared electric bikes in Bray in June made Bolt the first company to offer multiple transport modes (taxis and electric bikes) within the same app/ecosystem in Ireland.

Bolt Operations Manager for Rentals in Ireland, John Buckley, said: “We’re thrilled our electric bike service has been so embraced. We’re lucky to have vast experience with micro-mobility across Europe. It constantly tells us that a high-quality, responsible service with affordable pricing will be popular with riders and pedestrians alike. The former gets a better alternative than traffic jams and maintenance costs, whilst the latter gets a city made for people, not private cars. I’m very happy to say Sligo has met and exceeded these expectations.”

The stats come hot on the heels of the European mobility leader announcing it has surpassed 150 million customers in over 45 countries and 500 cities, including more than 12 million using its micro-mobility (electric scooter and bike) services. Furthermore, Mikko Salovaara was named as CFO, with the company expecting to reach full company-wide profitability on a full net income basis over the next 12 months.