One million e-scooter rides have taken place across the West of England since the launch of a trial in October last year, a new report finds.
Swedish firm Voi Technology has estimated that around 370,000 car trips have been replaced since the beginning of the trial, reducing over 200 tonnes of carbon emissions.
The scooters have so far been rolled out across Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire by local councils and the West of England Combined Authority.
The scheme is aiming to reduce pressure on public transport and encourage residents in central areas to swap their cars for a more environmentally friendly mode of transport.
According to data from the 12-month trial, more than three million kilometres have been travelled on the e-scooters so far, with the majority of rides taking place in city centres.
Train stations have been one of the most popular start and end destinations for riders, suggesting the scooters are being used as part of public transport journeys.
Meanwhile over 650 people have applied for the trial’s long-term rental scheme, which allows residents to take the scooters home with them, with 400 now using the initiative.
Voi also revealed that more than 120,500 free rides were taken by NHS staff and key emergency workers during the national lockdowns, with more than 4,000 users taking advantage of the full discount.
Jack Samler, general manager at Voi UK and Ireland, said: “People in the West of England have embraced Voi’s e-scooters, whether it’s for riding to work, running errands or visiting friends and family.
“At Voi, we are delighted to continue to work with the West of England Combined Authority, ensuring everyone can benefit from the introduction of this safe and carbon-neutral mode of transport.
“E-scooters have the potential to change the way we move around our cities and towns, and our mission is to help to create cities that are better and healthier places to live.”
Voi recently launched a campaign to encourage the safe use of its e-scooters following concerns over the way they are ridden and parked on public roads and pavements.
The firm has been staging online and in-person safety events where it has been handing out free helmets to users, while it has also introduced a raft of features to its app to encourage safe riding and parking.
The company recently announced that it was trialling sound-equipped ‘humming’ e-scooters in three cities, including Bristol, to help curb pavement riding and offer more protection to pedestrians with sight loss.
Supt. Simon Brickwood, of Avon and Somerset Police’s Roads Policing Unit, said: “We’re keen for riders to be aware that e-scooters are subject to the same road traffic legislation as cars or mopeds and are only legal for use as part of government-led trial schemes.
“While they may not be capable of high speeds, irresponsible e-scooter use puts pedestrians, motorists and the riders themselves at risk.
“However, whilst we have seen some limited incidents of poor rider behaviour, these represent a small minority of e-scooter users, with the vast majority complying with the rules.
“Working closely with the local authority and Voi, we are actively engaging with e-scooter users as part of our regular patrols and issuing safety advice where appropriate.”
Voi said it had facilitated 3.5 million rides, with 10 million km travelled since its first UK trial was launched in September 2020.
As well as West of England scheme, Voi also operates scooters in Birmingham, Cambridge, Liverpool, Northampton, Oxford, Portsmouth and Southampton.
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