Wheels4Wheels: Bolt and Serviceplan Turn Everyday Scooter Rides into Open Accessibility Data

Sep. 18, 2026

Bolt, the European shared mobility platform, has launched Wheels4Wheels, an initiative that gives wheelchair users street-level information on the most crucial factor for wheelchair navigation: surface quality.

It repurposes sensors already fitted to Bolt scooters to collect accessibility data that mainstream maps have long been missing, and make it publicly accessible so that any navigation service, city authority, or developer can use it immediately and for free.

From scooters to street smarts

For the 80 million people worldwide relying on a wheelchair to get around, surface conditions are not a question of comfort – but a serious health risk: A 2013 study found that all participants suffered from chronic pain caused by the constant vibrations they experience when traveling over rough ground.

While mainstream navigation apps can route users around steps, they cannot tell them whether a pavement is paved or cobblestone.

To overcome this challenge, Wheels4Wheels uses accelerometers, gyroscopes, GPS receivers, and cameras already installed in scooters to support vehicle safety and maintenance to analyze the data recorded on daily trips and translates it to surface quality on a five-point scale.

Successful launch in Tallinn

Accessibility advocate Hendra Raud from Tallinn, Estonia said:

“Being in a wheelchair trains you for the unexpected. Cobblestone makes your entire body ache, and getting stuck can mess up your entire schedule. You feel frustrated. So it’s a great feeling to finally have a map of the world the way we actually experience it."

 

In the Tallinn pilot, Bolt scooters covered 550 km across all eight city districts, capturing 40.5 million accelerometer readings and producing 66,088 individual surface ratings, with manual mapping conducted in parallel to validate the method. As a result, available surface-quality information across Tallinn increased by 26%.

A bold outlook into the future

Ardo Reinsalu, Director of Vehicles at Bolt said:

“Every year, our scooters cover millions of kilometers across hundreds of cities, registering every bump, slope, and uneven surface along the way. We have long shared that data with city partners to help improve roads and pavements for everyone. Wheels4Wheels takes that a step further by making the same information available directly to the people who need it most – without building a new app, but improving the maps they already use. This initiative changes how we think about scooters themselves, as something that goes beyond getting people around and actively helps make cities more accessible for everyone.”

 

Alex Schill, Global Chief Creative Officer at Serviceplan, added:

“Wheels4Wheels shows how an existing platform can be reimagined as civic infrastructure. What began as mobility data for fleet operations becomes a practical tool for inclusion, turning a familiar urban service into an open resource for more accessible cities. We’re very proud to support a matter that hopefully improves the daily live of thousands of people.”