Sharing Scooters in Verona: A Continuously Expanding Service

The electric scooter divides opinions: some love it, while others hate it. Some accuse it of creating disorder and being dangerous, while others use it daily for their commute. Regardless of the opinions, the use of electric scooters is steadily increasing.

This is especially true for those in sharing mode, where users pay for the ride as if it were a rental. However, the number of people using their own scooters to move between the historic center and the city's neighborhoods is also growing. Currently, the city hosts a maximum of 1,200 shared scooters.

According to municipal regulations in effect for a few years, the service has been regulated: there are three operators, each of which can manage up to 400 scooters. The rates are not fixed but fairly uniform among the different companies.

The cost to unlock the scooter – that is, to activate the rental – is one euro, while the usage fee varies between 20 and 25 cents per minute, depending on the operator. On average, a scooter remains in use by the same user for about ten minutes, covering a distance of about 2 kilometers.

The main usage area is the historic center and the surrounding areas, including Borgo Trento, Borgo Venezia, and Zai, but there are also trips to areas like Parona or San Michele Extra.

A few years ago, there were up to 5 or 6 companies operating, and this chaos benefited no one. Now the situation is more organized, and the demand continues to grow, as do the trips.

In 2023, an average of 400,000 trips per operator was recorded, suggesting that the total number of trips in the current year could be about three times that number.

Compared to 2022, there was a 23% increase. The number of regular users has also nearly doubled.

In addition to per-minute rates, operators offer minute packages at discounted prices and subscriptions, options highly appreciated by the people of Verona.

In 2023, about 20,000 packages and subscriptions were activated in Verona, a 40% increase compared to the previous year.

Tourists often use the electric scooter to explore the historic center, but a growing number of residents have adopted it for daily commutes, thus avoiding traffic, queues, and parking problems.

Rombo Srl has played a crucial role by providing battery replacement services, repositioning scooters in designated areas, and recovering and repairing damaged scooters, helping to maintain a high-quality service.