The Sustainability team have launched a pilot using Voi for Travel at Work journeys. This six-month trial will evaluate the feasibility of using e-bikes and e-scooters by staff travelling between sites for meetings and site visits.
Four trial departments/locations will participate in the pilot. These departments are:
- The Department of Genetics – Downing site
- Cambridge Enterprise – West Cambridge
- University of Cambridge, Estates Division - Greenwich House
- The Institute of Astronomy - Madingley Rise
Each location will be able to issue free ‘Ride Credits’ to its staff members through the room booking system Booker.
All staff who receive a ride credit will be required to complete the pilot evaluation forms and the Travel at Work Voi User’s Agreement to share their ride data with the sustainability team for evaluation.
Not part of the Scheme? Don’t worry; discounts for the University of Cambridge staff and students for personal commuting to work and leisure use are available.
Staff and students can apply for a 20% discount on the cost of rides or on monthly passes through Voi’s Voi 4 student’s programme. Sign-up for these discounts here. It is advised not to use your University or Student email address in case you leave the University, as you will not receive notifications from Voi, however, you will need to upload a photograph of your staff or student ID card.
Please read the Frequently Asked Questions here, on Voi and its technology or watch this video on E-scooters.
How to use the Voi for travel at work
You must download the Voi app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store and follow the onboarding process to use Voi's e-bikes and e-scooters.
All riders must hold and provide evidence of a valid UK driver’s license (provisional or full) to use Voi's e-scooters. Your license must be verified in the app upon registration before you can start riding.
Please note:
- You need to hold a provisional or full driver's license
- Only individuals 18+ are allowed to use the e-bikes and e-scooters
- Only one person per e-bike and e-scooter
- E-bikes and e-scooters should not be driven on pavements (unless signposted as acceptable)
- You should never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol
You will also need to input your payment card details on the app. The pilot will provide ride credits giving you free access to 2 x 30-minute rides on either mode of Voi e-bikes and e-scooters. Any minutes used over the 30 minutes provided will be charged at the agreed pilot rate of £0.17/per minute for either mode of Voi vehicle (e-bikes and e-scooters).
If you are an avid Voi user, we recommend signing up for one of our Month Pass products and use the Voi 4 Students discount to save 20%. These passes cannot be used in associated with the University of Cambridge ‘Travel at Work’ voucher credits. You can see more information about packages and deals in the app or F.A.Q section.
Please note that this is not a Cambridge University App; we advise users not to use their CRSid credentials to sign up for this service.
Before you ride, you’ll need to complete compulsory health and safety training in the app. This sets out the rules and expectations for e-bikes and e-scooters hiring and riding. You can also undertake the Ride like Voila training and earn ride credits, RideLikeVoila - Learn how to ride and earn free Voi rides
Unfortunately, anyone who is caught disregarding the Voi rules will receive a strike on their account; on the third warning, the user’s account will be permanently blocked.
Voi also reserves the right to ban users from the service for serious infractions. Voi staff will be contactable to ensure safety in Cambridge, where they work in partnership with the local authorities to monitor and encourage safe riding behaviour.
The pilot scheme will provide a free ride credit code to be added to your Voi App wallet. This will enable 2 x 30-minute rides and include unlock fees for an e-bike or e-scooter, allowing a return trip to be made.
Ride credits are available only to the pilot departments Via Booker. When booking your ride credits please book in advance of your trip, you must include details of the journey start and finish locations.
Your department lead for the pilot will check that you have completed the Travel at Work Voi User Agreement and issue an Email to you with the ride credit code to be added to the discount code section of the Voi Wallet within the Voi App. Enter the full code and you will receive an auto acknowledgement from the Voi app.
Important Information for Voi pilot users: Any ride minutes used beyond the 30-minute value will be charged to the user’s payment card. These additional minutes are not claimable from the University or Departments. Please ensure you monitor your time on the rides during the pilot. If you are not achieving your destination in the allotted time. Please contact travel@admin.cam.ac.uk to advise about the shortfall in time.
Once you have followed the steps above, you can start your ride by either scanning the QR code or manually entering the e-scooter’s or e-bike’s unique ID code.
Please be sure to familiarise yourself with the city map within the App before your journey and find an available Voi parking spot near your final destination. This will help ensure you know where your Voi vehicle can and cannot go and where you must park when completing your journey.
If you’d like to reserve the Voi e-bike and e-scooter for a return journey, you can do this within the app when you park and lock it up in a mandatory parking zone. We recommend that, if you’re finished using the Voi e-bike and e-scooter, you can select “End Ride” within the app.