Blue Duck may become the first e-scooter company to operate in Ireland

The US operator will test new tracking technology in partnership with Luna and Dublin City University

E-scooters are currently banned on public roads in Ireland, but a recent bill to amend the Irish Road Traffic Act of 1961 to regulate the use of electric scooters signals a potential policy shift. This wind of change may bring Blue Ducks, as they are playfully called by their operator, to Irish roads for the first time.

Blue Duck, a San Antonio-based electric scooters provider, is in a privileged position, as it has entered a joint venture with Dublin-based Luna and Dublin City University to trial Luna’s groundbreaking high-precision GPS technology. This makes Blue Duck the first e-scooter company to enter an agreement to operate in the country.

The pilot project will be implemented on Dublin City University’s private campus roads in partnership with the university.

Sniper-like tracking accuracy

Luna has invented a telematic device which allows scooter operators to pinpoint the location of their scooters with an accuracy of five centimeters. This is a feat, as current GPS technology can determine the device position in meters.

Luna is a consortium of European industry leaders in fleet management solutions, sensor-to-cloud technologies and connected mobility analytics. These include Transpoco, a leader in vehicle tracking and fleet management solutions and Taoglas, the world’s leading provider of next-generation IoT solutions.

Announcing the pilot project, Blue Duck CEO Michael Keane said “That level of precision would allow us to locate our scooters more efficiently and would lead to stricter compliance with geofencing requirements. A successful outcome of this pilot test could lead to significant enhancements to our ability to manage our fleets responsibly while providing exceptional service to our partners and riders.”

E-scooters with a difference

What sets Blue Duck Scooters apart from other American scooter operators is the company’s regional focus (Texas and the Southeastern United States), commitment to investing in superior micromobility assets, and use of its own employees to deploy, collect and charge its scooters. Blue Duck says it is open to partnering with cities, universities and corporate campuses in designing cleantech, last-mile transportation solutions.