News / Transport
Could Voi make a welcome return to Bristol?
When people conducting surveys attempt to stop you in the street, it’s customary to give them a wide berth.
But when staff wearing Voi-branded jackets wanted to talk to transport users in Bristol on a recent morning, they had no trouble at all getting people to spill the beans.
Some e-scooter riders even skidded their vehicles to a stop, thrilled to see the Voi logo back in Bristol.
is needed now More than ever
If Voi get their wish, it will not just be Voi-branded jackets back in Bristol soon but also their familiar coral-coloured scooters.
Despite a successful three years of operation with Bristol becoming their most successful European city, in 2023 Voi failed to win the tender to continue within the region covered by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA).
But the team at Voi have been watching closely from afar as their replacement, Tier, later merging with Dott, has been beset by problems from faulty kick-stands to scooters being in the wrong place.
They are now hoping that officers at WECA choose to once again open the bidding process for the e-scooter hire tender in Bristol and Bath, and if that happens they are out to win and make a welcome return.
It was a sad day when Voi was replaced in Bristol by Tier – photo: Bristol24/7
During a break from the surveys, Voi’s UK general manager James Bolton appeared genuinely sad that Voi was no longer operating in Bristol.
Bolton’s own Voi-branded fleece had the embroidered phrase ‘Three years, oh so many rides’, signifying his three years working for the Swedish company which was founded in Stockholm in 2018.
Coincidentally, Bristol had three years of Voi with 12m journeys taken on their two wheels in that time, and the verb ‘to Voi’ even becoming part of the vernacular such was the scheme’s success.
Bolton said that the Bristol scheme was one of the “most positive” he has ever worked on during his time with Voi.
“We knew Bristol was going to be good but I don’t think we were prepared for how much we would become integrated into the culture of the city so quickly…
“The brand means more in Bristol in terms of recognition, awareness and the positive feelings that people have.”
Bolton, who joined Voi after working at IBM and EY, admitted that the trial scheme “wasn’t without its challenges” but was “really happy with the state of how things were when we left”.
He said that when Voi did not win the tender in 2023, “we were absolutely devastated”.
Voi were once a familiar sight across Bristol – photo: Betty Woolerton
Voi, however, have bided their time and Bolton and his team are currently preparing themselves for a possible upcoming procurement process.
Tier’s two-year contract is due to come to an end in October 2025 but WECA does have the possibility to extend that for another two years if things are going well.
Bolton hopes that Tier’s contract will not be extended and one of the reasons why he and his team were wearing their branded jackers and carrying out surveys on the street on Tuesday was in an attempt to understand the current situation on the ground.
“We’re not here to throw mud at the other operator or the combined authority,” Bolton said while tucking into a late lunch at Spicer & Cole on Queen Square Avenue.
“We are here to say that if things are as bad as they seem, we want to raise awareness of that and we want to make the combined authority and politicians aware that it’s perfectly within their gift to re-tender and there is no reason why they shouldn’t.
“Public procurement is always a relatively fair process, hopefully. We are not looking for a quick and easy way to bring us back to Bristol through a backdoor.
“We think Bristol deserves better. And if that’s us, amazing. But even if not, we think it can be better than things are here now.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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