E-scooting in the time of COVID: more Voi safety info and tips
Jan 29, 2021
The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage around the world, with many countries under heavy lockdowns to curb the spread of the disease and prevent overburdened medical systems. We know many of you have questions about how we manage our operations during these unprecedented times, and how you can ride Voi safely and securely during the pandemic to carry out essential trips.
The safety of our riders, employees, and communities is always our highest priority. Since e-scooters and e-bikes operate in the open air and allow for social distancing, they are a much safer choice than other forms of public transport at this time. Infectious disease specialists say COVID transmission from shared micro-mobility services is probably low.
Nevertheless, we want to highlight the procedures and recommendations we take to keep you safe. We also offer some advice on how to ride Voi safely during COVID-19, so you can go the distance while social distancing!
Our COVID-19 measures:
To make sure the fleet is safe, we have increased our vehicle cleansing frequency. The vehicles are disinfected at least daily, including every time they’re handled for a battery swap, re-balancing, or maintenance.
We thoroughly spray and wipe all of our vehicles — from the handlebars to the base — with a high-quality, alcohol-based disinfectant that kills a plethora of bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19, MRSA, Listeria, norovirus, and E. coli. The cleansing agent’s antiviral and antibacterial properties last for up to 24 hours.
Our on-site teams — mechanics, ambassadors, rangers, warehouse managers, and logistics personnel — are equipped with sanitary kits, including masks, gloves, and hand sanitiser, and they follow social-distancing guidelines.
In some markets, we’re trialling copper tape on handlebars, which inactivates 99.98% of the coronavirus. The tape, made of woven copper fleece, has an antibacterial, antiviral, and fungicide property whose efficacy has been tested in various international trials over decades. Copper is a natural antimicrobial material. (Our new e-scooter model launching this spring, the Voiager 4, comes with antimicrobial handlebars that facilitate safe shared use and prevent the spread of viruses — including COVID-19 — by inactivating them on contact.)
Using reputable third parties, we take viral and bacterial tests of randomised samples of scooters to make sure we are keeping things clean.
We send out regular information via our app about staying safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We closely monitor the news, research, and government regulations, and then make decisions based on evidence and best practices.
We continue to offer free rides to medical and emergency service workers via our Voi 4 Heroes initiative.
Our COVID-19 rider safety tips:
Consult the World Health Organization’s COVID advice and follow your local government recommendations.
Stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel.
Limit activities outside the home to daily exercise and essential journeys, such as work commutes and trips to the supermarket.
Wear gloves and/or a mask while riding a Voi e-scooter or e-bike, if you feel more comfortable.
When you’re riding, try to maintain a 2-metre distance from other vehicles and pedestrians.
Use hand sanitiser or wash your hands before and after you ride.
Keep portable disinfectant wipes on hand to wipe down surfaces that you’ll touch.
Avoid touching your face.
Sneeze or cough into a tissue or the bend of your elbow.
Take care of yourselves and each other out there. We’ll get through this together!
