Following a successful pilot project this year in cooperation with electric scooter rental services Bolt and Tuul in Tallinn, the city plans to expand scooter parking areas next year. The aim is to organize parking for micro-mobility vehicles in a way that is safer for pedestrians.

Deputy Mayor Vladimir Svet reported that residents were generally satisfied with the new arrangement, as organized parking for scooters provided more space for pedestrians. “The objective was to find solutions for ensuring pedestrian safety, as carelessly parked scooters have been a major concern for people with mobility issues, the elderly, and parents with strollers. The project results were positive in this regard,” said the Deputy Mayor. “In collaboration with the companies, we have made preliminary conclusions and discussed potential areas for expanding this parking scheme. Final decisions will be made after further analysis before the start of the next season, but it is clear that the parking zone will expand somewhat,” added Svet.

During the pilot project, user parking behavior was monitored. It was also determined which parking area markings worked best and what should be considered in planning future areas.

Henri Arras, Head Of Public Policy at Bolt, reflected positively on the collaboration, observing that the impact on usage was minimal. “The pilot project demonstrated that when a dense network of parking spots is available, users respond well to designated parking areas. It’s crucial to assess each street corner individually, considering people's movement patterns and needs, to develop a parking network that ensures the nearest parking spot is always conveniently located at the end of a ride,” Arras elaborated.

Kevin Reisenbuk, Product Manager at Tuul, also considered the pilot project a success. “We observed that location-specific parking restrictions noticeably enhanced the cityscape, while customers positively embraced these changes. Although there was a minor reduction in ride numbers due to decreased flexibility, we believe our contribution as an operator is significant for collectively improving the urban environment. We plan to maintain designated parking areas in the city centre and collaborate on exploring other areas where we can test this model in the upcoming season,” Reisenbuk stated.

During the test period, 126 areas specifically designated for scooter parking were established in the city centre, designed by the Tallinn Transport Department in cooperation with Tuul and Bolt. The pilot area was bounded by Toompuiestee, Kaarli Puiestee, Pärnu Maantee, Laikmaa Street, Rävala Puiestee, and Liivalaia, Suur-Ameerika, Endla, and Tehnika streets.