E-scooters are now available to hire in Bath and Bristol as part of a trial led by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA).
Over the next 12 months, Voi Technology will deploy 100 e-scooters in Bristol and 50 in Bath, with the Swedish operator to introduce more over time and create more than 60 jobs in the region during the trial.
West of England mayor, Tim Bowles, said: “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 Bristol and Bath.”
WECA and Voi said safety is a major priority of the trial and are thus working closely with groups representing vulnerable road users such as the Royal National Institute of Blind People, Age UK and Disabilities Move UK.
Furthermore, the e-scooters are preprogrammed to not exceed 10mph, with the vehicle’s top speed lower than this in some areas. There are also no-ride zones, with geofencing technology used to force the e-scooters to slow down and stop when a user travels outside the operation area.
Bowles continued: “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.”
Coronavirus safety has also been considered, with the e-scooters fitted with copper tape on the handlebars, which reportedly reduces the risk of contamination by viruses and bacteria. All scooters will also be disinfected every 24 hours, with Covid-19 advice and information available on the Voi app.
Safety pop-up events will run weekly throughout the trail.
