How Voi contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals – SDG 10: Reduced inequalities

Research shows that access to transport is a strong predictor of social mobility. It enables opportunities for work and education by making them accessible. If we can provide equal access to mobility for everyone, we can reduce inequalities.

Reducing inequalities is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These 17 goals were developed by the UN to move us towards a sustainable world by 2030. Goal number 10: Reducing Inequalities includes everything from income inequality to social inequality. 

At Voi, we are committed to this goal and making sure our services are fair and accessible to all. Through affordable pricing, community outreach, and inclusive design workshops, we ensure our service benefits everyone, regardless of age, gender, economic background, physical ability or ethnicity. As part of these efforts, we have been working with research partners to develop a roadmap that defines inclusive micromobility for the entire industry and charts a path towards it. 

What we have done so far:

• Economic inclusion: Voi has launched various price offerings that democratise e-scooters and make them affordable for all.
  • Voi Pass – enables access to more rides for a flat fee starting from €1 per day
  • Voi-4-All – for riders from low-income groups, including HC2 Certificate holders, Employment and Support Allowance, Job Seekers Allowance, Income Support or Universal Credit can opt in to receive 50% off
  • Voi 4 Heroes –  Enables Armed forces, NHS and emergency service workers to subscribe to our Monthly Pass at a discounted price (50%, except for West of England where the discount is 75%). 
  • Voi 4 Students – reductions on Monthly or Daily passes for students and staff
    
• Accessibility for all: Voi works with many interest groups, notably the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Open Inclusion in the UK, the NABP (Norwegian Association for the Blind and Partially Sighted) and the SNAB (Swiss National Association of and for the Blind), to understand the needs of people with disabilities and ensure our service does not hinder their mobility in the city. We are also collaborating on an industry-first pilot project to roll out the Klaxon Klick, a wheelchair attachment that electrifies wheelchairs, to support everyone’s access to micromobility services. 
• Accessibility Awareness: We have launched a cooperation with the Swiss Blind Association to integrate accessibility-related questions into our virtual traffic school, RideLikeVoila.
• Inclusive hiring practices: We are committed to fair and inclusive hiring practices. For example, in the UK, Voi is a member of Key4Life which supports diversity and inclusion in the workplace.  In Sweden, Voi works with the initiative “Jobbsprånget”, helping newly-arrived individuals gain access to employment.

Our targets:

• Research: Conduct research and develop a toolkit to make micromobility accessible for all in 2021 (SDG 10.2 & 10.3)
• Accessibility vehicles: Successfully roll-out accessibility vehicles, like the Klaxon Klick to serve a wider user base, including those with access needs by the end of this year (SDG 10.3)
• Equitable access: Expand operational zones by 20% by 2022, to better serve traditionally underserved areas and increase riders who benefit from our low-income pricing. (SDG 10.4)

Did you know? 

If you want to find out more about all our work with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, take a look back at our 2019 Sustainability Statement when we began aligning to the goals. We’ve come a long way but there’s so much more to do. 

This blog post is part of a series on how we work with nine of the 17 sustainable development goals. You can find the other blog posts in the series here:

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 9: Sustainable Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 13: Climate Action
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals