Ireland’s leading ride-hailing app now enabling e-scooter bookings as part of country’s first trial run by Europe’s number one micro-mobility operator
Leading ride-hailing app FREE NOW has partnered with leading micro-mobility provider TIER Mobility to support the rollout of Ireland’s first e-scooter trial across five DCU campuses. As part of the trial which is running until early 2022, passengers can now book e-scooters from the TIER fleet based at DCU via the FREE NOW app.
The e-scooter trial began in July with the goal of improving safety for e-scooter users and pedestrians, as well as providing city authorities with valuable data and insights to facilitate safe e-scooter use once government legislation passes in Ireland. FREE NOW’s involvement in the scheme will encourage continued learnings, modal shift and participation among passengers – enabling students and staff to trial the e-scooters over the coming months via FREE NOW’s app integration.
New nationally representative data from FREE NOW highlights the need for more sustainable and multi-modal transport options like e-scooters in Ireland, with 75% of people stating that Ireland lags behind other European countries when it comes to sustainable transport options. Furthermore, 12% of people would actually consider selling their private cars in favour of more sustainable options like e-scooters once legislation on their use comes into full effect.
FREE NOW’s partnership with TIER in the DCU pilot is an extension of its pan-European partnership with the micro-mobility operator which has been rolled out across five countries (Germany, France, UK, Poland & Austria) since March 2021 – making TIER e-scooters widely available to passengers via the FREE NOW app. Recognised for its sector leadership in safety and sustainability, TIER is Europe’s number one e-scooter operator, serving over 130 cities including London, Paris, Berlin and Dubai. This partnership is part of FREE NOW’s commitment to sustainable mobility and its goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2030.
Commenting on the DCU pilot partnership, Niall Carson General Manager of FREE NOW Ireland said: “We are delighted to partner with TIER and support the continued rollout of Ireland’s first e-scooter pilot scheme over the coming months across DCU campuses. This scheme will positively contribute to the safety standards for e-scooter usage in Ireland and we hope it will support the government’s rollout of legislation in the coming months – enabling people across the country to avail of safe, sustainable and convenient micro-mobility rental.”
Fred Jones, Northern Europe General Manager of TIER, added: “Our research trial at DCU brings TIER together with a range of brilliant partners to ensure Ireland’s first e-scooter scheme is not only a success but a valuable learning opportunity for cities exploring the future of micro-mobility. By adding the trusted and popular FREE NOW app to that mix we can take the trial multimodal and generate more compelling insights.”