Voi, the UK and Europe’s leading micromobility provider, proudly announces its collaboration with the West Midlands Fire Service by offering thousands of free e-scooter rides to all firefighters participating at the UKRO Festival of Rescue 2022, and discounted rides to spectators, as the official sustainability transport partner.
Running this week from Friday 30 September until Saturday 1 October, the Festival of Rescue 2022, which is run by the UK Rescue Organisation (UKRO) and hosted this year by West Midlands Fire Service, will see hundreds of firefighters from nearly 40 UK and international fire and rescue services, as well as thousands of spectators, descend on Smithfield at the heart of Birmingham’s city centre.
The event is free, so spectators can just turn up between 8am - 5pm on both Friday 30 September and Saturday 1 October to witness firefighters in action, whilst the opening ceremony will take place on Thursday 29 September.
The event itself is a unique spectacle with teams assessed as they undertake various challenges in front of a live audience and will be the most engaging and interactive iteration of the competition yet, with more opportunities to get involved and follow the action than ever before.
As the official sustainable transport partner for the festival, Voi has teamed up with the organisers to help decarbonise thousands of journeys to and from this free major two-day event. Covering all parts of the city, the convenience of its 24 hours, seven days per week e-scooter service will mean spectators and participants have the flexibility of leaving their cars parked up at home and not creating congestion in the city.
With hundreds of Voi parking locations across the city, there is plenty of opportunities for people to hop on and off across the city, such as combining their journeys with public transport or riding from their hotels, to safely get to the venue. Voi will also have a dedicated stand and test track in the main festival space at Smithfield for those curious about making e-scooters part of their daily lives and reducing the need to use their car in the city. Riders unfamiliar with e-scooters, or those who want to gain a bit more practice, can hop on for a taster session and receive expert tuition from the Voi team as well as receive a free helmet and discounts.
While providing thousands of free rides to competing firefighters, Voi is also offering special discounts for spectators to help them to travel sustainably and is thrilled to offer all riders 50% off three (3) Day Passes to help them travel over the entirety of the event with the voucher code UKRO. Codes must be redeemed and used by 1 October 2022. Riders can access the discounts in three easy steps:
- Downloading the Voi app via Android or iPhone
- Open the in-app wallet and enter voucher code ‘UKRO’ into the redeem a voucher section. The voucher code is to be redeemed and used by 11:59 pm Sat 1 Oct 2022
- Find and unlock an available Voi e-scooter using the in-app map
Voi is committed to creating an inclusive service for all and is therefore encouraging riders to take advantage of its ‘Voi 4’ discounts, including those emergency service workers with a Blue Light Card. The discounts are also available for students, NHS staff, Armed Forces, veterans and those on low incomes.
Sam Pooke, Senior Policy Manager at Voi UK, said: “Hot off showcasing our success at the Commonwealth Games, we are absolutely delighted to work with West Midlands Fire Service to be the official partner of the UKRO Festival of Rescue 2022.
“As leaders in sustainable transport, we’re determined to work closely with organisations, such as the UK Rescue Organisation and West Midlands Fire Service, to help decarbonise thousands of journeys and make micromobility an integral part of transport planning for major events.
“Every person hopping on a scooter, instead of using a car, is making a difference and contributing significantly to changing the places we live for the better.”
Area Commander Samantha Burton, who is coordinating the festival for West Midlands Fire Service said: “We’re super-excited to be hosting the UKRO Festival of Rescue 2022 and delighted that Voi is supporting this highlight of the fire and rescue year! Firefighters from across the country will be competing and giving our communities a chance to be wowed by their expert rescue skills.
“Thanks to Voi’s generous support they’ll be able to swap their response vehicles and take to two wheels, to see all that Birmingham has to offer. It’s also great that Voi will be joining us at the Smithfield site, giving visitors to the festival a chance to see and safely try a Voi scooter for themselves.”
While Voi continues its mission to create better cities for living, safety remains the rental e-scooter company’s top priority. Ahead of the event at the end of the month, Voi encourages and rewards all riders to complete the RideLikeVoila e-scooter traffic school as well as follow the rules of the road, which are reinforced by its recent Let’s Get it Right safety campaign. The company also continues to invest in technology and infrastructure, including features such as the Parking Photo, which ensures riders leave the scooter well parked at the end of each journey, and the Report a Voi page which allows anyone to easily report any misplaced scooter or instances of misuse.
Notes to editors
About Voi
Founded in 2018, Voi is a Swedish micromobility company offering e-scooter and e-bike sharing in partnership with towns, cities and local communities. We believe e-scooters can play a central role in changing how people move in our towns and cities in the future. We want to ensure that the micromobility transformation happens the right way - through real innovative technology, open and transparent dialogue with towns, cities and governments and by adapting our products to local needs. Voi’s holistic Environmental Action Plan tackles emissions and promotes renewable energy use and circularity along its supply chain. Voi operates in over 100 towns and cities across 11 countries. It is headquartered in Stockholm and employs 1,000 people. To date, Voi boasts more than seven million riders and has served more than 125+ million rides.
About Festival of Rescue
The United Kingdom Rescue Organisation (UKRO) “Festival of Rescue” is the leading rescue competition in the UK, and in 2022, West Midlands Fire Service are honoured to be hosting it in Central Birmingham. We will be making use of a key site from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games - Smithfield - right in the heart of Birmingham, ensuring a truly eye-catching location. We will be bringing together competitors from nearly 40 fire and rescue services around the UK and even further afield to compete in five disciplines: Trauma Care, Rope Rescue, Urban Search and Rescue, Vehicle Extrication and Water Rescue. This year we’re also pleased to be adding a further challenge open to all members of the UK Fire and Rescue Service - the UK’s Firefighter Fitness Challenge. The event itself is a unique spectacle with teams assessed as they undertake various challenges in front of a live audience. This year will be the most engaging and interactive iteration of the competition yet, with more opportunities to get involved and digital ways to follow the action than ever before.
