Estonian Startup Ends Sidewalk Anarchy by Opening First Smart Scooter Parking Lot

BARCELONA, Spain, Nov. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- World's first public smart scooter parking lot, which enables users to lock and load all e-scooters, was presented today at Smart City World Congress by Bikeep, a leading smart commercial bike parking provider in the world. Bikeep was part of the Estonian joint-stand, showcasing 11 startups from Estonia providing technological solutions for sustainable urbanization.  

Over the past couple of years, electric scooters have occupied the sidewalks of metropolitan cities across the world as these are believed to be the next big disruptors in last mile transportation. Aside from improving urban mobility, the heavy usage of electric scooters has triggered complaints of clutter, blocked sidewalks and potential danger to pedestrians. Also, being dockless and unlocked, scooters easily become a target of vandalism, resulting in financial losses for e-scooter sharing companies. Thus, cities and providers are looking for solutions that could allow them to take better control of the use of scooters. 

"Bikeep's parking lot is first of its kind as it allows to lock and load all e-scooters, despite their manufacturer or service provider, which has not been possible until now," says Kristjan Lind, the CEO of Bikeep about the first public parking lot that was introduced in Barcelona. "Our scooter stations are designed to improve the usability of the micro mobility devices:  scooters in our parking lots are easily accessible yet securely locked to protect them from vandals and do not require daily pick-up for loading," adds Lind. 

Head of the Estonian delegation at Expo World Congress Kairit Sikkal from Enterprise Estonia said that Estonia is a perfect breeding ground for technological startups like Bikeep that are providing sustainable solutions for urbanization and smart cities. "Estonia is a hometown of innovation having a significant experience in building a digital society and economy, having 99% of its services online, providing its citizens online voting and e-school system. All 11 startups presented at the Estonian joint-stand have the potential of becoming disrupters in their field", added Sikkal. See more about the Estonian smart city solutions here.

About Enterprise Estonia:

Enterprise Estonia is the largest public entrepreneurship-supporting organisation in Estonia to promote Estonian economic development by encouraging export and attracting foreign direct investments. One way to develop export is by organising joint stands at international fairs. Participation in the exposition is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

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