Bolt to launch electric bike service in Kilkenny

Company's second regional e-bike scheme follows June's Sligo launch
Life
L-R: Aisling Dunne, Bolt Ireland, Minister Malcolm Noonan, Minister for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick

2 August 2022

European mobility company Bolt is planning to launch its second electric bike scheme in Kilkenny ahead of the Kilkenny Arts Festival starting on 4 August. 

The 80-bike pilot will kick off in the coming week and will trial new virtual parking solutions to provide both flexibility and ease of use for cyclists and ensure the scheme is mindful of pedestrians and other road users. 

This service will help to deliver on the Kilkenny City and County Development Plan 2021 – 2027, which prioritises sustainable transport and continued development of walking and cycling infrastructure in support of the 10-minute city concept. 

Bolt has continued to strengthen its Irish team with the recent appointment of John Buckley as operations manager for Rentals in Ireland, who said: “Kilkenny is our second Irish market and one where we believe e-bikes can make a transformational difference to travel options and wellbeing.

“We are also conscious that Kilkenny is a medieval city and as such presents new challenges from an operational perspective. The learnings we will gather from Kilkenny will give Bolt a stronger understanding of the concerns some Local Authorities may have when it comes to introducing shared e-bike schemes into the public realm where space may be limited, and will leave Bolt as an experienced operator of such.”

Caitriona Corr, Cycling Officer with Kilkenny County Council, said: “We are delighted that people will have another choice of transport in Kilkenny.  It has been shown that e-bike users cycle further and more often so the benefit will be not just to our city but also people’s wellbeing. e-bikes can be of great assistance to people with reduced mobility and can make more arduous journeys very enjoyable.”

This marks Bolt’s second e-bike launch after it launched in Sligo earlier this year. It also comes as part of a wider push for Bolt to deploy 16,000 e-bikes across Europe in 2022, following recent fundraising. Bolt company currently operates ride-hailing taxi services in Dublin and Cork.

Bolt will commit up to €5 million in its bid to roll out e-bike operations across Irish cities and towns. Up to 2000 bikes are available immediately following Bolt’s recent fundraise and investment in micromobility with founder Markus Villig recently committing €150 million to expand its light vehicle fleet across Europe.

TechCentral Reporters

Read More:


Back to Top ↑

TechCentral.ie