Mobility app Free Now and Irish micromobility operator Zipp Mobility have announced plans to integrate Zipp’s e-scooters and e-bikes on the Free Now app in Ireland this year.
The partnership will enable passengers to book Zipp’s micromobility transport options via the Free Now app when Zipp rolls out its services in Irish cities including Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway in 2022.
The announcement comes off the back of the recently announced Road Traffic & Roads Bill 2021, which will legalise e-scooter use in public places.
Commenting on the partnership with Zipp, Niall Carson, general manager of Free Now Ireland, said: “We are delighted to partner with Irish micromobility operator Zipp and share common ambitions to change, and ultimately improve, the way people across Ireland approach daily transport.
“It’s a really exciting time for the industry now that legislation on e-scooters is in motion, and we look forward to having e-scooters available on our app in 2022.”
Research conducted by Free Now shows that 40% of its passengers plan to use e-scooters for everyday transport when they are made widely available in Irish cities this year, and three quarters think that Ireland needs more sustainable, electric transport options in line with other European countries.
Zipp, headquartered at NovaUCD in Dublin, currently operates services in the UK and mainland Europe and plans to launch both e-bikes and e-scooters across Ireland, Portugal and Spain this year.
Charlie Gleeson, founder and CEO of Zipp Mobility, said: “We are thrilled to join a group of operators able to offer their micromobility services on the Free Now platform.
“We understand that micromobility is not a ‘silver bullet’ solution to decarbonising transport so we must collaborate with platforms like Free Now to give our customers a full spectrum of sustainable transport options.
“This is the only way we can meaningfully reduce our reliance on the private car and get to net-zero emissions in transport.”
