“We are satisfied with the first month.” That is what the municipality of Alkmaar asks after questions from NH Nieuws. Shared scooters can be rented in the city since 12 July. Despite the fact that there are residents of Alkmaar who complain about (parking) nuisance from the electric scooters, the municipality expects that nuisance to decrease. We are also talking to other providers.
The municipality bases this on the experiences of landlord Go Sharing and other municipalities. “We see that some of the users and residents still have to get used to the scooters, but also that more and more people from Alkmaar are becoming acquainted with this form of shared mobility.”
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Haarlem, Beverwijk, Zandvoort, Haarlemmermeer and Hilversum preceded Alkmaar. As the sixth city in North Holland, Go Sharing also has a permit for a two-year trial. Now there are 150 scooters, that will be 200 plus another 150 e-bikes.
According to the municipality, the shared scooters fit within the municipality’s policy when it comes to accessibility and sustainability. “It is an additional choice of transport for residents and visitors and can be an alternative to the car. It can also contribute to reducing parking pressure.
Scooters in water
Go Sharing previously calculated that they received 136 complaints in the first month. At the municipality there have been 30. “That was about annoying parking, but it also involved questions about the system and the provider’s working method.”
Scooters were also destroyed. “Three vehicles have hit the water so far.” They were removed by Stadswerk072. The bill for this goes to Go Sharing, according to answers to council questions posed by several parties.
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Every quarter, the municipality and the provider evaluate how things are going. “In it, we check whether they comply with the permit, but also how use and nuisance is developing.” The first month was reviewed last week. According to Go Sharing, this revealed, among other things, that the parking zone at the station deserves more attention.
Other providers
Whether there is room for more shared scooter rental companies will depend on the results of the current Go Sharing pilot. “There are exploratory talks with others, but we are reluctant to allow more providers of this form of shared mobility.”
“It must first be shown whether it is an added value for our municipality. Providers are free to apply for a permit. Each application will be assessed and tested individually.”
And for now, the municipality is also sticking to the maximum licensed number of shared scooters for Go Sharing (200 scooters and 150 e-bikes, ed.). “We know that they would like to place more vehicles. But we first want to gain more insight into the use before we talk about further expansion.”
A next evaluation moment of the shared scooters is planned in October.
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