Bolt to launch first electric bike scheme in the South East

Would you swap the car out for an e-bike?

As people look for more alternatives for travelling around towns and cities, Bolt has announced the launch of their second regional electric bike scheme in the country. The mobility company announced the new expansion on Sunday (31 July). 80 e-bikes are set to hit the streets of Kilkenny in the next coming weeks, ahead of the Kilkenny Arts Festival beginning on Friday (4 August). The scheme is the first of its kind in the South East of the country. A similar scheme had been launched in Sligo in June, with locals cycling a total of 14,633 kms in the first month alone — the equivalent of cycling from Sligo to Australia. This service will help to deliver on the Kilkenny City and County Development Plan 2021 – 2027, which prioritises sustainable transport and continued development of walking and cycling infrastructure in support of the 10-minute city concept. “We are delighted that people will have another choice of transport in Kilkenny," said Caitriona Corr, Cycling Officer with Kilkenny County Council. "It has been shown that e-bike users cycle further and more often so the benefit will be not just to our city but also people’s wellbeing. E-bikes can be of great assistance to people with reduced mobility and can make more arduous journeys very enjoyable.” The e-bike is equipped with a dashboard providing information about speed, battery level and speed zones, showing the user all the information required while riding. Those looking to use the bike will need to download the Bolt app, and then scan a QR code to unlock it. It costs 15 cents a minute to use the bike, with no unlock fee. Users will also need to pass an "in-app cognitive reaction test" to prevent people from operating the e-bikes while intoxicated. Upwards of €5 million is set to be spent in the roll out of e-bikes across Ireland.