Spanish micromobility company Wind Mobility will operate a 12-month e-scooter trial in Nottingham that will enable people to hire one of its e-scooters for a month or up to a year.
Key workers will also be able to register for long-term rentals at discounted rates that allow them to take an e-scooter home for exclusive use.
Some 200 e-scooters will be deployed initially and on-street rental by-the-minute is also available through Wind Mobility’s app.
Councillor Adele Williams, Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for transport, said: “E-scooters will provide a greener travel option for people travelling in Nottingham. This has become especially important as we plan our recovery from Covid-19 and try to encourage people to travel in different ways while social distancing is in place.
“E-scooters offer the potential for convenient, clean and affordable travel, and reduce journeys made by car to ease congestion and lower harmful emissions.”
Wind Mobility e-scooters are designed to be highly visible and come fitted with integrated helmets.
Furthermore, geofencing technology will ensure the e-scooters can’t be operated outside of Nottingham City Council boundaries. This will enable the council to create low-speed zones with the e-scooters limited to 4mph in pedestrianised areas and so-called ‘no-go’ zones.
Boguslawa Motylska, designing out crime officer for Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We worked closely with Nottingham City Council and Wind Mobility to mitigate any risks that this new infrastructure could potentially create for the communities we serve.
“We are ready to challenge inappropriate behaviour and address any public safety concerns raised by members of the public.”
People wanting to hire an e-scooter must be more than 16 years-old and hold at least a provisional driving licence.
Built-in hand sanitiser dispensers will enable riders to clean touch-points before and after riding.
A number of Wind Mobility e-scooters will also be available to trial in Derby, with details to be confirmed by Derby City Council in the near future.
