Commuters and visitors to Bath are now able to hire carbon-neutral e-scooters to ride around the city’s streets as part of a year-long trial aimed at encouraging low-carbon travel.
Initially, 50 scooters supplied by Swedish firm Voi will be available to hire in Bath, along with 100 in Bristol – with the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), which is leading the trial in partnership with Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES), saying more will be introduced over time.
The e-scooters, which cannot exceed 10mph, can be used only on roads, cycle lanes or cycle tracks – they cannot be used on pavements. As they are classed as motorised vehicles, riders – who must be at least 18 – need to hold a full or provisional driving licence.
They will be available to unlock for £1 and cost 20p per minute. A range of subscriptions will be available as well as discounted passes for students, key workers and those on low-incomes.
B&NES council leader Dine Romero – who took part in the launch of the trial yesterday on the Royal Crescent – said the e-scooters would take pressure off public transport, helping people travel in a socially-distant manner and leaving their cars behind.
“We are committed to reducing dependence on cars by encouraging the use of low-carbon, convenient ways to travel in our towns and city,” she said.
“Many short journeys which could often be made on foot or by bike are usually made by car, so the availability of other options will help people make small changes to the way they travel.
“I look forward to seeing the e-scooter trial develop as another means to help improve our air quality and health as well as encouraging people to shop local.”
West of England Mayor Tim Bowles added: “With social distancing in place on public transport, our e-scooter trial is a chance for us to try a new, low carbon way to get our region moving, particularly up and down the big hills we have both Bath and Bristol.”
He said WECA and Voi, which launched Europe’s first dockless e-scooter service in 2018 and now operates in more than 50 cities across 11 countries, would continue to work closely with groups representing vulnerable road users – including the RNIB, Age UK and Disabilities Move UK – to ensure the needs of vulnerable groups are carefully considered during the trial.
Mayor Bowles added: “The needs of vulnerable groups in our communities have been at the forefront of my mind as we’ve been preparing our trial.
“That’s why we’ve been listening to representatives of those groups both nationally and West of England specific organisations like Bristol Sight Loss Council, to make sure we are giving them the confidence they need. We will be introducing e-scooters gradually across the region, working closely with Voi, our councils and Avon & Somerset Police to ensure that e-scooters are used responsibly.”
Voi said the pilot scheme will create more than 60 jobs as it is rolled out across the West of England, including ‘ambassadors’ on the streets to enforce safe behaviour. These ambassadors will also work with Avon and Somerset Police to restrict or ban non-compliant users.
Voi will also disinfected all scooters every 24 hours and provide Covid-19 advice and information to riders via its app.
The firm will hold weekly safety pop-up events during the trial when its ambassadors will answer questions on using the scooters safely, as well as handing out free helmets for riders to use. While not compulsory, a cycle helmet is recommended when using an e-scooter in line with Department for Transport guidance.
Voi Technology co-founder and CEO Fredrik Hjelm, said as the pandemic continued, people were looking for alternative ways to go about their journeys.
“Our scooters are a safe, low-carbon alternative to public transport and car journeys. We can’t wait to see how residents and visitors to these great cities enjoy using Voi e-scooters,” he said.
Pictured, top: A Voi scooter in Bath. Bottom, from left: Lucy Yu of Technology, West of England Mayor Tim Bowles and B&NES council leader Dine Romero at the Bath launch
