Voi, a rental e-scooter operator, has expanded its operating areas to the outskirts of Bristol, meaning it will now service the communities of Hartcliffe, Hengrove, Morrisons Stockwood and Whitchurch.
The company claims that this expansion means that almost the entirety of Bristol is fully accessible to riders – from Avonmouth, Cribbs Causeway, to the city centre, and now the south of the city – as the operating area expands to now cover 147km² (or nearly 60 square miles).
A report, carried out by Volterra Partners and commissioned by Voi, shows the rental scheme has contributed an estimated £43m between 2020 and 2024 to the local economy – including more than £13m in 2022 alone.
The publication also revealed that nearly one-quarter (24%) of all Voi trips start and end in the country’s most deprived areas and that just under two-thirds (60%) of morning e-scooter trips in Bristol end in the top 10% of the most employment-dense locations in the city.
Improving the equity of travel and access to employment were key motivations for the expansion, Voi has said.
Don Alexander, councillor and Bristol City Council’s cabinet member for Transport, said:
“Bristol is already the most popular city in the UK for Voi e-scooters with an estimated three million car journeys replaced to date.
“This further expansion into south Bristol will boost transport options for even more people across our city and help deliver a modern, sustainable transport mix for Bristol.”
Voi has said that with this larger operating area, more people will now be able to access its various discount schemes, which are offered to those on low incomes, refugees, NHS staff and students.
