Scooter sharing history is relatively recent, not deeply rooted in the past. The company BSKL, in particular, is an extension of this history in the Arab world, specifically in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While the first patent for an electric scooter appeared in 1895 under the name of the American inventor Ogden Bolton from Ohio, the invention remained in experimentation, modification, and limited use by scientists and military for decades. It wasn't until 1967 when Austrian chemist Karl Kordesch designed the nickel-cadmium battery that Floyd Clymer used in the same year to redesign an electric scooter. The purpose was to assist physically disabled individuals with mobility.
This invention marked the initial core of the emergence of commercially viable electric scooters, which later evolved for use in transportation within modern urban environments worldwide, including applications like BSKL for scooter sharing.
The Beginning of Scooter Sharing History: Gradually, different scooter models started being used by individuals for leisure or personal sports. However, due to the development of modern transportation means and road congestion, the idea of using shared electric scooters as a private means of transport began to gain traction. They were fun and appealing to many teenagers and young adults, reducing traffic congestion due to their smaller size compared to cars and motorcycles. Moreover, they are environmentally friendly as they do not emit harmful gases during operation. This led transportation companies to consider utilizing them in providing their services, including companies like BSKL.
The First Shared Electric Scooter in America: The idea of sharing electric scooters and renting them first emerged in the United States in 2017 when the American company LimeBike introduced the concept of making electric scooters available for shared use among the public. This was done through a dedicated mobile application, similar to other transportation apps. Users could request to use a shared electric scooter, and the app would display the nearest available scooter. It would also calculate the desired trip's cost. LimeBike became the pioneering company in this field.
And thus, many transportation companies in the United States and various countries worldwide followed suit. This prompted BSKL to launch this concept in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the first time. Since the history of scooter sharing is still in its infancy, specific laws governing it have not yet been established in various U.S. states. Consequently, companies that pioneered scooter sharing in the United States would often leave scooters in random places without permits due to the absence of a designated authority issuing such permits.
However, due to variations in U.S. state laws, San Francisco decided to prohibit the presence of shared electric scooters on its streets without permits. As a result, permits were issued to five companies, each allowing them to own up to 2,500 shared electric scooters on the state's streets. These scooters catered to the needs of the population, numbering less than a million people.
The History of Scooter Sharing in Europe: As the history of scooter sharing emerged in the era of globalization and technology, making the world a smaller place, the idea easily spread from the United States to European countries. LimeBike, for instance, conquered the streets of European cities, and European transportation companies and apps followed suit, just as BSKL did in Saudi Arabia. Thus, the history of scooter sharing became prevalent on the streets of various European cities. Similar to the United States, there are no specific permits for this type of transportation on European streets, allowing companies to use and park scooters as they see fit in different areas of the streets.
BSKL Makes Its Mark in Arab Countries: After three years of LimeBike's introduction of its electric scooter sharing services in the United States, attention turned towards the Gulf countries, marking the beginning of the Arab history of scooter sharing. On December 1, 2019, LimeBike launched its services in the United Arab Emirates, starting with Abu Dhabi. The company provided 300 shared electric scooters along the Abu Dhabi Corniche, allowing users to rent them through the company's app. These scooters served as a means of transportation for commuting to work, shopping, or any trips within a range of ten kilometers.
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, BSKL was launched as one of the pioneering Arab establishments bearing a Saudi brand specializing in electric scooter sharing. It currently operates in ten branches across the cities of Riyadh and Diriyah. BSKL offers over five thousand shared electric scooters to its users through its dedicated mobile app. This app allows users to request scooter rentals from BSKL, specify their desired trip, calculate its cost, and arrange for scooter pickup and return locations.
Comments