Bolt: Reaction Tests and License Checks Reduce E-Scooter Demand

Bolt, a provider of shared electric scooters, reports that requirements effective since April 1 – conducting a reaction test and showing a driver's license before each trip – have significantly impacted user activity. Ronald Ābols, Bolt's micromobility business manager in Latvia, notes that these restrictions reduce people's willingness to use shared e-scooters, and fleet size adjustments are a natural response to changing demand.

During the season, Bolt has adjusted the number of scooters in several Latvian cities, including Jelgava and Liepāja. Ābols explains that the number of available vehicles is continuously changed based on seasonality and user activity.

He emphasizes that Latvia's requirements – a reaction test and driver's license check before each ride – are unique in Europe. No other country currently imposes such a set of requirements. In practice, this means some people abandon the service because they lack a valid driver's license or face technical difficulties with the reaction test on their mobile device, such as poor weather or device age.

Bolt believes that strict restrictions do not help solve the road safety problem at its core but instead push people toward less regulated options, such as private e-scooters. With a private scooter, no reaction test is required, a driver's license can only be checked by police during a stop, and riding is allowed from age 14. Moreover, speed limits on private scooters can be bypassed, reaching up to 100 km/h instead of the allowed 25 km/h.

Ābols informed that of the e-scooters registered with the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD), 60% are private and 40% are shared. However, police do not record whether private or shared scooters are involved in accidents or violations, making it impossible to assess the impact of the new requirements on safety.

In summary, Bolt's representative calls for regulations that improve overall road safety by monitoring all road users and seeking comprehensive solutions, rather than only regulating those that are easier to control.

Recall that in November 2024, the Saeima passed amendments to the Road Traffic Law, which from April 1, 2025, introduced a mandatory reaction test for alcohol and other intoxicating substances before using shared vehicles. Failure to comply may result in a fine of 70 to 350 euros for service providers.