Scooter Sharing Offers Romans a Ride, and Maybe a Date

“The whole transportation system was screwed up.”

Rome’s Scooterino offers Vespa sharing, with a social side.
Photographer: Alessia Pierdomenico

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By Chiara Albanese and Alessandra Migliaccio

November 30, 2016 at 5:01 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

This article is part of the December 5, 2016 issue of businessweek.

Want to tool around Rome on the back of a Vespa like Audrey Hepburn did in Roman Holiday? Oliver Page can help. The 23-year-old American has developed Scooterino, a ridesharing app that links scooter drivers with people who need a lift through Rome’s chaotic traffic—sometimes even sparking romance.

Just type your departure and destination points into your phone, choose a driver, and you’re soon weaving through the streets of the Eternal City. At an average of €5 ($5.29) a ride, it’s usually cheaper and faster than a taxi. Makeup artist Filo Di Iorio, who found out about the service after meeting Page at a bakery, says Scooterino has helped her cut her €80 monthly taxi bill in half. “I’m almost as addicted to scooter sharing as I am to pizza,” Di Iorio says while waiting for a Scooterino pickup.