Scooter rental services, such as Whoosh, MTS Urent, and Yandex Go, have reached an agreement with the administration of St. Petersburg on investments in the development of cycling infrastructure. The decision aims to return scooters to the city center. Experts believe that this may trigger similar decisions in other cities.
The largest kicksharing operators have signed an investment agreement that includes funding for the creation of bike paths and parking areas for personal mobility devices (PMDs). The initiative arose in response to the introduced restrictions: a ban on parking electric scooters in the central areas of the city and a speed limit on sidewalks.
Specific investment amounts have not been disclosed. However, it is known that operators will transfer contributions to the city budget each season. In 2025, it is planned to allocate about 37 million rubles for the development of transport infrastructure.
A representative of MTS Urent told reporters that improving bike paths and parking will increase the demand for scooter rentals, especially when public transport is not operating. The decision was the result of a long dialogue between business and authorities.
Additional bike paths and lanes for PMDs will be created under a separate agreement between Yandex Go and the Transport Committee. Operators, together with the city, are determining the optimal locations for their placement. This will help reduce accidents and increase user safety.
A representative of Whoosh emphasized that in the central districts of St. Petersburg, it is necessary to improve the infrastructure to adapt the city to bicycles and PMDs. The agreement implies a fair contribution to the development of infrastructure. According to the company, this will allow the resumption of scooter use in the central areas of the city.
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