This past Sunday, I wrote about what it is like to live in the Holy Land without a car. One of the things that makes it a lot easier to do is that Israelis are so innovative about ways for the public to get around. While I mostly ride my bicycle everywhere (there are tons of great bike paths in Tel Aviv), next month, there will be a new mode to try—TIER scooters.
“Israelis will soon be able to enjoy the safest and most advanced e-scooters in the world, just like their counterparts in London, Berlin, and Paris. TIER offers a micro-mobility operations model that Israel hasn’t seen yet in terms of safety and sustainability to both users and nonusers,” said Alex Souter, a vice president, and regional executive with TIER Mobility.
TIER specializes in short-distance shared transportation options. To begin with, the vehicles will be stationed strategically around Tel Aviv, along with charging stations where riders can swap out batteries if needed. Riders can download an app to locate a nearby scooter (and the charging stations). Users also pay for the ride through the app. TIER said it will start by offering its e-scooters in Israel but may expand the fleet to include mopeds and bicycles.
“I am confident that we will be able to work with municipalities and our other stakeholders across Israel to offer our services in a coordinated, regulated, and efficient manner,” Souter said.
TIER scooters offer several safety features—for riders and those around them in traffic. Each vehicle carries a helmet for riders (it’s stored in a small compartment on the scooter). In addition, the vehicles have shock absorbers, a large front tire, indicator lights, triple brakes, two kickstands, and a phone holder that allows the rider to charge their device and use GPS.
TIER, which was founded in 2018 and has merged with or bought similar mobility companies since then, now has 300,000 micro-mobility vehicles in the fleet. TIER has outposts in 26 countries and more than 500 cities, including London, Berlin, and Paris.
If you are coming to Israel soon and want to check out Tel Aviv by scooter, TIER is offering a promotion for early adopters. Download the app and sign up for services before the scooters hit the streets next month, and you will get 30 minutes of riding time and the use of three vehicles (code LETSGOTLV).
Elana and I and our kids might have to check this out!