Ride-hailing app Mytaxi to pilot e-scooters in European cities

Ride-hailing app Mytaxi is to join the swathes of European and US startups jostling for a slice of the electronic scooter market, with a pilot to be launched in European cities later this year.

The branding of the scheme and the location of the first pilot have not been disclosed, however the firm said it will use Segway hardware for its fleet.

Mytaxi said it plans to officially start its first scooter market this year, with international cities to follow in 2019.

The news comes after rumours swirled this month of US startup Lime opening an office in Milton Keynes for a future UK launch of its e-scooters. Under existing legislation, the operation of e-scooters in the UK is prohibited as they fall under the ban on mechanically-propelled vehicles.

Mytaxi chief executive Eckart Diepenhorst said the firm is open to collaboration with regulators to find a way to tackle the ban.

"Currently, not all markets offer the regulatory framework to start such a project," said Diepenhorst. "We hope this will change soon, as we believe e-scooters can contribute strongly to solve urban traffic problems and would love to collaborate with regulators to find quick and reliable solutions for a modern urban mobility."

He added that the move is a strategic decision for Mytaxi, which hopes to innovate alongside younger firms.

"The e-scooter market is highly dynamic and the interest from users is booming in a lot of international cities. We see a significant growth potential for Mytaxi here and a perfect complement to our existing taxi business as e-scooters are mostly used for short tours of around one to two kilometres."

"We will launch the e-scooter pilot with a dedicated brand, but the goal is to make it as easy as possible for the users to choose between our services."

The app counts Uber among its competitors, as the ride-hailing giant floated plans to shift its focus from cars to electric bikes and scooters in August.

Other rivals include Bird and Taxify, which have both launched e-bike and scooter services in several European cities.