Dockless electric scooters have popped up like mushrooms in Lisbon. After the American Lime, scooter-sharing companies like Bungo, Flash, Hive, Iomo, Tier, Voi, and Wind, are now operating in the city (at the time of writing, eight startups in total).
Electric scooters are fun, fast, and make getting around downtown Lisbon easier. Tourists are also using them more often.
While the design of the electric scooter has been around for years, the key innovation is the dockless rental model.
With your smartphone download the app for a scooter company – Bungo, Flash, Hive, Iomo, Lime, Tier, Voi, or Wind – and use the map to find a nearby scooter. After entering a credit card, scan a QR code to unlock the scooter. Go for a ride. Park the scooter (never in the way of pedestrian traffic), and end the ride on the app. In Lisbon, scooter parking is banned in the historic red zone (Alfama and Bairro Alto) signaled on the map.
As far as prices go: €1 to unlock and then 15 cents per minute to ride, which comes to €10 per hour – all companies share the same pricing model.
To stay safe while riding, scooter companies have posted some guidelines: ride on bike lanes rather than on sidewalks, wear a helmet, and park responsibly. Generally, these dockless electric scooters are capped at a maximum speed of 25km/h or 15 mph.
