If you live in Singapore, chances are you’ve seen e-scooters zipping around town, and for good reason. These personal electric devices (PEVs) are quick, slick, and convenient, making them transporting must-haves for the modern city dweller.
That’s something local start-up Telepod is looking to tap into with its e-scooter sharing service that was launched last Monday (June 5, 2017) – a first for Singapore, a city already crazy with bicycle sharing schemes.
Renting an e-scooter is pretty much the same as renting a bike. First, you’ve got to download the free Telepod app from either the App Store or Google Play. A one-time refundable deposit of $49 has to be paid before you get to use the scooters. One scooter can be rented for $1 per 10 minutes.
Renting them comes in two different ways. There’s a dockless system that allows you to choose your destination and “book” a scooter, and a docking system, where you’ve got to get your scooter from an assigned docking area.
Scooter speeds are capped at 25km/h according to Land Transport Authority (LTA) regulations.
There’s just one slight catch though. The scooters are not available island-wide, with Telepod only deploying a total of 10 units at the Suntec Convention Centre’s main entrance, something that the company hopes will be the first of many exclusive designated zones.
If riding an e-scooter for short commutes doesn’t interest you however, Telepod also has rental packages which start from $23 for one hour of usage to $63 for 24-hours. They have also started a Kickstarter campaign to push for more e-scooter sharing services in Singapore, so you can expect more opportunities to fly like the wind. You can check it out here.
For more information, visit www.telepod.sg.
All images taken from Telepod. Cover image: Alfred Lim.
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