Bolt partners with RTB to help visually impaired people navigate the streets safely

We’ve teamed up with the leading provider of acoustic technology on light signals in Germany, RTB, to integrate Bolt scooters into their LOC.id app.

The Loc.ID app has been developed specifically for blind and visually impaired people to help them navigate streets more safely.

Why it matters?

Blind and visually impaired people can face many everyday challenges, including visiting public administration buildings, navigating roadworks, or crossing the street.

And poorly parked or knocked-over scooters represent a tripping hazard and an additional stress factor for these vulnerable groups.

That’s why we’ve been educating our scooter riders about correct parking and developing technical solutions, including charging docks, to keep city streets in order. We’ve also been re-parking scooters ourselves.

The partnership with RTB is another step toward creating a safe and accessible environment for everyone.

How does it work exactly?

The LOC.id app is a Bluetooth-based system that communicates with external objects such as traffic lights, building entrances, public transport vehicles, or roadworks sites.

This app is a transmitter and is also available as a handheld device. When the user approaches a system equipped with a receiver, they’re recognised, and the object in question or the phone/device raises the signal or starts the voice-controlled guidance.

The LOC.id app acts as an ‘electronic guide dog’:

• 🏢For navigation inside public buildings. A smartphone issues verbal announcements that can guide users to the correct office.
• 🚌When using public transport. Announcements at stops and speaking buses and trains offer assistance and help the person catch the right means of transport.
• 🛗Inside lifts. The app tells the user which lift door opens and helps select the right floor.
• 🚦For crossing the street. The app makes a green-phase request as the person approaches the traffic light mast, and the acoustic signals offer clear guidance for a safe crossing.
• 🚧For following narrow paths near roadworks. There are individual navigation options that provide auditory cues to help find the right path.
• 🛴For avoiding improperly parked scooters. When a blind person with LOC.id approaches a scooter, it emits a warning signal.

In addition, RTB offers a customer service hotline for blind and partially sighted people who have difficulty using the app or have complaints or concerns about the product.

The impact

This solution is the first in the industry and aligns closely with our principles of protecting vulnerable groups from dangerous scooter riding and improper scooter parking.

For Dustin Williams, Public Policy Manager at Bolt, the introduction of this technology is a milestone not just for Bolt but for the entire industry: 

“Cities around the globe have been asking for a technical solution that safeguards blind and visually impaired people from the negative effects of improperly parked scooters. We’re proud to lead the industry in providing such a solution and have already received a unanimously positive response from the blind and visually impaired community.”

According to an RBT survey, 90% of users found the solution “very good,” and 98% confirmed that they’d use it in the future.