The lime-green electric shared scooters of GO Sharing are set to vanish from the streets of Leeuwarden, following the company’s recent decision to withdraw from several other Dutch cities. According to broacaster NOS, the decision was made due to a lack of profitability, with the company citing low revenue as the primary reason for pulling its fleet from these locations.
GO Sharing allows users to rent electric scooters via an app, paying per minute and leaving the scooter wherever they choose after use. While this offers convenience, it has also led to complaints of scooters being left on sidewalks and other inappropriate places, causing frequent disruptions.
In addition to low profitability, GO Sharing cited vandalism and the new helmet mandate as reasons for withdrawing from Leeuwarden. The company referred to the helmet requirement as “extreme regulation,” contributing to the decision to remove their scooters from the city.
This isn’t the first time GO Sharing has had to pull out of Leeuwarden. A year ago, the company was on the brink of bankruptcy, temporarily removing their scooters from the city. After being acquired by a new owner, the scooters were reintroduced, but now, the new management has decided to cease operations in Leeuwarden once again.
GO Sharing’s exit from Leeuwarden follows its recent departure from Groningen, where it first launched its electric scooters in 2020. After initially being banned in 2021, the company made a brief return in 2022 before retracting from 32 of the 45 municipalities it served. Earlier in 2023, financial troubles led to a temporary halt of services in Groningen. Despite a brief comeback with e-bikes, the company has now decided to pull out completely, as reported by the Algemeen Dagblad and scootervrij.nl.
In total, nearly 3,000 scooters will be removed from cities across the Netherlands, with GO Sharing now focusing its operations solely in Amsterdam and Haarlem.
Following the departure of GO Sharing, residents and visitors in Leeuwarden will still have access to other electric transport options. E-bikes from Bolt and electric scooters from Check and Felyx will continue to be available, ensuring that shared mobility remains accessible in the city.
