Liverpool are set to get brand new e-scooters in the new year

Liverpool city council have awarded the new e-scooter and e-bikes contract to Bolt. 

The new service will see 2000 e-scooters and 500 e-bikes deployed in the city.

Bolt has been running e-scooter services in many European countries for a few years now, but this would be their first uk deployment. 

The new service will be extended to 24/7 while the previous service ran by Voi did not run throughout the night. 

The council is working closely with Bolt to ensure the transport and sustainability goals of the project are met. 

The hope for this scheme is that it will reduce pollution in the area. Each year cars in the city generate almost half a million tonnes of CO₂ emissions. 

Liverpool city Councillor Laura Robertson Collins also cabinet member for communities and sustainability said ‘I am very pleased we are continuing this scheme in Liverpool and that the new contract will see the return of e-bikes as well as the continuation of scooters. The provision of this service adds a valuable environmentally friendly local transport choice, helping us improve transport in our city and helping to reduce private car use.’

In the past people have raised concerns about the possible safety issues e-scooters can bring. 

Sarah Glayton from the national federation of the Blind Uk warned that e-scooter implementation could cause huge safety issues for the visually impaired. Saying “blind people are at the complete mercy of these ‘antisocial’ e-scooters.”

The new service will also offer an in-app cognitive ability test to ensure drunk driving is prevented. 

Bolts head of micro mobility for the uk John Buckley said, “Launching micro-mobility in Liverpool, and our first ever scooter service in the UK, is a key step in Bolt’s commitment to building better urban transport.”

Bolt will replace the current providers Voi in February 2026.

By Rebecca Burgess