When is Voi coming to London?

Our first day of operating in London is Monday 25 September – and we can’t wait! You might spot our coral-coloured e-scooters on the streets already as we’ve now started testing them to make sure they’re working smoothly when we launch in the capital city. We’re shipping in our top-of-the-range high- tech e-scooters to give people in London the smoothest possible ride. And in case you’re not sure how to pronounce our name – Voi rhymes with joy, which seems appropriate given how much our riders tell us they enjoy riding our e-scooters.

Why do you have to test the scooters, I thought you operated scooters all over the UK?

That’s right we’re in 13 other towns and cities in the UK and over 100 cities across Europe – but we have to make sure that the behind the scenes tech is working well in London. At the moment, ten London boroughs are signed up to the Transport for London e-scooter trials. Using GPS and geofencing technology, we make sure that you can only ride our e-scooters in the boroughs taking part in the scheme. If you look at our app, it’s easy to plan your route, as “no ride zones” are clearly marked on the London map.

Even within the participating boroughs, there are some roads, such as busy dual carriageways and paths along the Thames, where e-scooters are not allowed. There are also some areas, such as paths around some parks, where we’ve been asked to make sure our e-scooters go a little slower. In our tests, we’re making sure that these zones are correctly activated and cause minimal disruption to the riding experience.

We’re also checking that the sign-up processes work well in London. You can only ride one of our e-scooters if you have a valid driving licence (provisional or full) and you’re 18-years-old or over.

How do I sign up to Voi?

It’s really easy. Just download our app and follow the instructions. You’ll be asked to upload a photo of your driving licence and then we’ll ask you to take a selfie to verify that you’re the person in the picture. These rules exist for everyone’s safety. It’s not allowed to share your account with anyone – and most definitely not your children or any underage person.

As part of the sign-up process, we give you some useful safety instructions. You can also do online safety training on our website and look out for scooter training sessions we’ll be running in London.

Screen shots of Voi sign-up process

How do you actually ride an e-scooter?

Once you’re all signed up, open the Voi app to find out where your nearest scooter is. Look at your route and check where you’re going to park your scooter at your destination. You have to park in a designated parking bay, which are all marked in the London map on the app. Unlock your scooter by scanning the QR code on the dashboard.

Voi e-scooter handlebars and dashboard

You’ll see that there’s a lever on the right handlebar to push down to accelerate and brakes on each handlebar – like bike brakes. There’s also indicators, operated by a button on the left handlebar. Press left to turn left and right to turn right. They will go off automatically after your turn, but you can also switch them off by pressing the button down twice in the same direction. Front and rear lights come on automatically. Check the bell’s working – it’s a black ring incorporated into the left handlebar – just twist it to make the bell ring. It’s very useful for alerting pedestrians, especially visually impaired people that you’re nearby.

Shopping on a Voi e-scooter

We advise you to wear a helmet and visible clothing. When you’re ready – you can put any shopping bags on the bag hook on the steering column – you can get scooting. Put one foot on the scooter, kick off with the other and press the accelerator to start the electric motor. If you’re new to Voi in the UK, the default speed for your first ride will be a bit slower than normal, but you can switch that off if you’re confident and want to go faster. The maximum speed across all trial e-scooters is 12.5 mph.

You can scoot on the road or cycleways – but it is illegal to scoot on the pavement unless it’s a shared pedestrian/cycle path. Remember to look about you, obey the rules of the road and use the indicators and bell. When you reach your destination, park the scooter considerately in the parking space – don’t leave it so people will trip over it or it blocks the way. End your ride on the app and send us a photo of your beautifully parked scooter.

How much does it cost and how do I pay?

When you sign up to Voi, you’re asked to enter a payment method – either a bank card or Paypal. You can choose to buy a pass or just pay as you go. Details of all prices are on the app and the cost will be taken from your chosen payment method. Look out for special offers we’ve got lined up for London on the app, on the scooters and on our UK social media accounts, X, Instagram and Facebook.

We’re sure you’ll soon find using a Voi e-scooter in the UK capital is easy and affordable too.

Happy scooting!