GoNow calls for constructive engagement on safe e-scooter mobility in Stellenbosch Stellenbosch, South Africa, 6 June 2026:

GoNow has noted recent public comments and media coverage regarding the operation of its electric scooter service in Stellenbosch. As a local business built around a real short-distance mobility need in the town, GoNow believes the matter should be addressed through constructive engagement, evidence, and a clear framework for safe micro-mobility. GoNow was developed in response to a practical challenge that many Stellenbosch residents, students, and workers understand well. Short trips across town are often too far to walk comfortably, too short to justify a car journey, and expensive when repeated through e-hailing services.

GoNow provides a simple, accessible option for those everyday trips. The service has since become part of how many people move around Stellenbosch, facilitating more than 40,000 trips on average each month. Along the way, GoNow has created 20 local jobs and provided a South African example of how short-distance electric mobility can work in a compact town environment. Its 24/7 operations and security team also patrols the town on e-scooters, supporting fleet management, rider assistance, and on-the-ground visibility. “We understand that any transport service operating in public spaces must earn public confidence,” says Jacob Levitan, Co-founder and CEO of GoNow. “GoNow is not asking to operate without rules. We are asking for constructive engagement so that Stellenbosch can develop a safe, practical framework for short-distance electric mobility.” GoNow takes public safety seriously.

The company has introduced several operating controls, including strict user terms and conditions, age controls, user verification, designated parking areas, geofencing, and speed-managed zones. These measures are reviewed as the service grows and as new risks or public concerns are raised. Where complaints or allegations have been made, GoNow has requested the details needed to investigate and respond appropriately. To date, the company has not been provided with the evidence or incident details it has requested in order to fully investigate several claims now circulating publicly. “We take complaints seriously, but they need to be dealt with properly,” says Levitan. “If there are specific incidents, we want the opportunity to understand them, investigate them, and address them. That is how responsible operators improve safety.” GoNow supports clear, enforceable rules for micro-mobility in Stellenbosch and more broadly in South Africa.

The company believes the responsible way forward is not an abrupt shutdown of a service people already use, but an interim framework that provides clarity to the municipality, residents, students, businesses, pedestrians, road users, and operators. Such a framework could include agreed operating zones, additional speed controls, approved parking areas, data sharing, rider education, stronger action against misuse, and clear channels for public complaints. “Stellenbosch has an opportunity to lead this conversation responsibly. The question is not whether people need better short-distance mobility. They clearly do.

The question is how we manage it safely, openly, and practically,” says Levitan. GoNow remains available to meet urgently with Stellenbosch Municipality and relevant parties to agree practical interim measures while longer-term regulatory questions are clarified. “We want to work with the municipality and the broader Stellenbosch community. Our goal is to keep improving the service, protect public safety, and preserve a mobility option that many people rely on every day,” says Levitan.