Voi Manifesto: We want to shape the cities of the future – this is what we believe

Freedom of movement is a basic human right yet our cities and their infrastructure have been built to benefit the richest, car-owning members of society. We believe shared micro mobility is a true mass-market transport that doesn’t discriminate – one that can be accessed and used by all to create unseen opportunities. Voi is a European micro-mobility company created in Sweden with a European mindset and values. It is because we love Europe that we are dedicated to rebuilding transport across our region.

Voi has already surpassed 14 million rides and by the time we reach 100 million, we believe cities across Europe will be transformed.

Voi has already surpassed 14 million rides and by the time we reach 100 million, we believe cities across Europe will be transformed. Streets that were once lined with parked cars, will become smog-free zones, where mixed-fleet transport systems will co-exist easily and effectively, making transfers between bus, bike and e-scooter seamless.

Core beliefs

These are the four pillars of the Voi manifesto. We will cover each point in-depth further on in this blogpost.

1. Freedom of movement: We believe citizens should have the right to transport that sets them free while being safe, affordable and accessible.

2. We believe Europe was made for e-scooters, both culturally and geographically. From here we can lead the world in building safe and sustainable networks.

3. Partnering with cities: We believe in creating transport that is respectful to the planet by working in partnership with cities and their residents.

4. Shaping cities: We believe in shaping Europe’s cities for future generations to create a world free from congestion, noise and pollution for future generations.

1. Freedom of movement

In all we do, from the cities we partner with, to how we design our e-scooters, the safety of our riders and fellow road and pavement users sits above everything. Our priority is to make sure every rider knows how to use our scooters safely and within the law, through our Ride with Voila campaign, and we fit our e-scooters with the latest in safety technology that complies with EU regulations. We take our responsibility to make sure micro mobility protects and benefits the many, not the few, extremely seriously. But we also want our riders to have fun and experience cities on their terms.

2. Building safe and sustainable networks through regulation

We believe regulation forms the backbone of our mission for world-leading safety and we adopt and encourage a collaborative approach, working with local authorities, transport chiefs and business leaders in every region we enter. We believe that the right transport sets people free to live their lives and that private companies and public organisations should share the responsibility of providing it, as has happened for decades in Europe. Right now there is a regulatory vacuum in most cities when it comes to personalized electric vehicles like e-scooters. Some operators are only interested in grabbing market share, but we want to build a sustainable business. We believe cities should limit the number of operators, based on objective criteria, so that they can select only those companies who provide a high quality service to their citizens and best complement existing transport options.

3. Partnering with cities and residents

We believe in open, ongoing dialogue with transport chiefs and other transport operators because we see e-scooters as a complementary mode of public transport, not an alternative. We encourage people to get the bus, ride the tube, take a train or a ferry, as well as to use bike-sharing schemes and see their city in ways they never have before. In recent years, there has been a huge push towards cycling and cities have built infrastructure to enable more people to choose bikes. But there are some people who will never feel comfortable on a bike and we think e-scooters can bridge that gap. E-scooters get you to your destination on time, in silence and without dependence on fossil fuels. Cycling infrastructure should accommodate e-scooters as well.

4. Shaping cities for future generations

No two cities are the same, so no two regulatory guidelines should be the same. We celebrate the nuances of Europe by having teams local to that city on the ground, working with local residents, communities, visitors and cultures to discover what they want and need from their transport networks. Being in such a large number of cities means we have a wealth of experience to take into conversations with cities where we are not yet active. For so long Europe has given over space to cars, without even thinking about it. In future, we need to allocate space – for parking and riding – to other forms of transport. Space in Europe’s cities has always been at a premium but now we have a way to use it more wisely, to transport people more efficiently. We will provide mobility that supports autonomy and creates identity right across the continent.