Micromobility operator Lime has announced that it is increasing its investment into London by £6.3m as it reports increased interest in sustainable and shared transport options.
The company invested £20m into the capital in January this year, which was followed with the opening of a new warehouse and the launch of new e-bike and e-scooter models.
It intends to use the funding increase to expand across the city, especially in line with local authorities’ growing interest in offering more affordable and sustainable public transport.
Lime also announced that it has won contracts to launch e-bikes in two new boroughs, Hackney and Hammersmith and Fulham.
What’s more, the operator likewise claims to have increased staffing by 70%, including a 50% growth of its patrol teams during the summer months.
E-scooter and e-bike rides increased by 117% year-on-year in the period of January to July, according to Lime. It also reports a 67% increase in first-time ridership numbers in London.
Wayne Ting, CEO of Lime, said: “The investment marks our commitment to London, and is a vote of confidence in the local government’s own investments into world-leading active and sustainable transport policies.
“It signals our support of the transformative steps taken by the mayor and London councils to encourage cycling and other sustainable transport modes over cars with high-quality infrastructure.
“It’s clear Londoners are looking for ways to get out of cars and onto shared and sustainable transport as a result of these changes, and we believe we can be part of this solution as the city’s longest serving operator.
“We want to remove cars from cities, and the first step to achieving this long-term goal is for Lime to become the first profitable transportation tech company globally.
“This should provide reassurance to our local partners that not only are we here to stay long term, but we’re eager to work collaboratively to achieve our shared climate goals.”
What’s more, the e-scooter provider said its recent rider survey found that 80% of riders in London felt that Lime made them less reliant on private vehicles and more inclined to use public transport. Of those surveyed, reportedly 32% has used Lime for commuting, 21% for socialising and 12% for shopping, errands or leisure, with only 11% of this group being non-residents.
