Tried and tested: these shared e-scooters offer the fastest way to get around Prague

Shared transportation has seen a big boom in Prague across recent years, with riders able to rent an e-scooter or e-bike with a few taps on a smartphone app. Shared bikes and scooters are often a cheaper and quicker means of transportation in a big city than public transport or even cars, with the added bonus of not having to search for a coveted parking spot.

Now might be a perfect time to try out a shared e-scooter  — and not only because the summer months are a prime opportunity to try out an open-air ride. The personal vehicles also enable riders to practice social distancing recommendations in a COVID-19 world.

There are now three options for shared e-scooters on the streets of Prague: Re.volt, Blinkee, and BeRider. We tried three to determine which one offers the fastest way to get around Prague.

Unlike the kick scooters and shared bicycles that have clogged Prague’s sidewalks in recent years, BeRider’s electric scooters operate within the city’s existing vehicle infrastructure and don’t interfere with pedestrians whether in use or while parked. And because they can be parked perpendicular to the sidewalk, parking is never a problem to find.

Never ridden a scooter before? Don’t worry: BeRider’s app is designed with first-time riders in mind, with special instructions for those who have never ridden a scooter or motorcycle before. Riders only need to have a valid license to drive in the Czech Republic and comply with the traffic laws in Prague.

Available scooters can be located through the BeRider app (or just spotted on the streets of Prague) and reserved for 15 minutes for free. Riders have a free minute to get adjusted to the scooter before the pricing kicks in. A default tariff runs 5 crowns per minute (1 crown when paused), and prepaid packages of minutes can be purchased that lower that tariff by up to 42%, to 2.9 crowns per minute (.58 crowns while paused).

Each scooter also comes equipped with a smartphone holder, and the BeRider app displays a map that outlines areas where the scooter can be parked. If you have a USB cable, you can even charge your phone through the scooter.

And if you’re not a fan of wearing a shared helmet, you can even buy your own: packages of helmets, driving gloves, and 100 free minutes on BeRider scooters can be purchased from the BeRider website starting from 1,970 crowns; helmets alone start from 1,190 crowns.

While all three e-scooters on the market offer open-air summer rides that provide a social distancing advantage over other forms of transport, we tried out each to see give you a clear idea of the advantages and disadvantages of the e-scooter services available on Prague:

ŠKODA AUTO DigiLab’s BeRider scooters boast a few key advantages over their competitors. There’s no minimum charge for unlocking the scooter, ensuring that you only pay for the amount of time you use the scooter, no matter how small. BeRider also has the least expensive waiting times, at down to just half a crown per minute.

Perhaps best of all: BeRider’s maximum speed of 66 kilometers per hour is a considerable uptick over others on the market, which cap out at around 45 kilometers per hour.

Given the scooter’s ease-of-use over cars down the Czech capital’s narrow streets and maximum speeds in the city center, that might make BeRider the fastest way to get around Prague.