Winter is coming – how Voi is gearing up for the cold months

Europe’s leading micromobility operator Voi helps commuters, communities and tourists navigate more than 70 cities across Europe and, with this vast geographic range, comes a variety of weather patterns to prepare for. Committed to ensuring the safety of our riders and other road users, we’ve outlined our plans for the winter months ahead.

Voi operates all year around, ready to take users where they want to go safely and on time. But as the weather gets colder and roads become icy, there are a number of things we can do to make sure our riders stay seasonally safe, including a few tips along the way.

Having the safest fleet on the streets

Founded in Stockholm 2018, we take pride in our Scandinavian DNA and the experience we have from operating our service in the cold Nordic winter months during three previous seasons.

Our latest model, the Voiager 4, is well equipped to transport users through the winter. It’s mechanical drum brakes are efficient in all weather conditions, and they provide a smoother deceleration which helps prevent skidding on icy road surfaces. Its large, high quality tyres increase shock absorption and ease the impact of potholes. The Voiager 4 is also equipped with 360° turn indicators, on both the handlebars and on the lower rear of the scooter, alerting other road users to your direction of travel.

We proactively maintain our fleet all year around, and winter is no exception. Caution is taken to ensure every scooter used by riders is regularly tested to meet our strict safety standards. This extensive checklist includes checking that lights and reflectors are intact, brakes are tightened and that the suspension is working. Any scooter that does not meet these benchmarks will be taken off the streets to be repaired or replaced.

Educating users on how to ride safely in the winter

In addition to the safety measures for our fleet, it’s crucial that our riders actively think about safe riding, and we will be educating users throughout the season on how to ride safely in the colder months. Users are able to lower the maximum speed on their rides through Beginner’s Mode in the Voi app.

We will continuously be promoting our top tips on how to ride safely throughout the winter season, via our social media channels and in-app messaging, such as:

Wear protective gear

Always wear a helmet to keep your head safe. Wear reflective clothing and accessories so other road users can see you in the dark.

Steer slowly

Decrease your speed so you can easily control your scooter. Do not make abrupt turns, especially on slippery surfaces.

Mind the road surface

Pay extra attention to where you are riding. If you encounter icy or wet areas, get off the Voi and walk until the ground is clean, dry and clear.

Agile winter operations

When it comes to operating our fleet, we keep a hyperlocal approach to cater for the different requirements and weather conditions in all our towns and cities. Seasonal changes to our operations are made in close collaboration with city stakeholders, and proactively communicated to our users through the Voi app.

In some towns and cities, users will notice that we are slightly decreasing our operational zone during the winter months. This measure is only relevant for certain areas where road conditions could be more affected by falling temperatures, icy road surfaces and snowy weather.

Should the weather turn particularly treacherous, we will temporarily put our scooters in ‘sleeping mode’, making them unavailable to rent. Safety of our users always comes first for us at Voi. If necessary, the scooters will be removed from the streets until the weather improves. In addition, our local teams are in contact with city administrators and snow removal companies to gain insight into how they work, so that we can best adjust daily operations during heavy snowfall. The plan is to work proactively with these firms during the winter months.