Some 50 e-scooters are now available to rent in York as part of a UK Department for Transport-approved 12-month scheme.
As previously reported by CiTTi, the trial is being run by City of York Council and German micromobility operator Tier Mobility, following a tender process involving over 15 other applicants.
People can pick up the e-scooters at the University of York campus and ride them along a number of cycle and road routes.
The council is also holding discussions with York Hospital to see its site included in the trial as it expands to up to 700 e-scooters in the next six months.
Tier Mobility’s UK general manager, Fred Jones, said: “We are excited to be offering York residents and visitors a more sustainable way of travelling around the city, as people get to grips with new ways of navigating during Covid-19.
“Our e-scooters can bring great benefits to the city, including reducing air pollution and congestion. We look forward to rolling out more e-scooters in coming months.”
The e-scooters are fitted with number plates and unique ID, enabling Tier and potentially the police to track riders on CCTV and ensures the service is used safely.
Furthermore, responsible parking is being encouraged with designated bays across the city marked on the road and showcased on the Tier app.
Tier has claimed to be the first climate-neutral micromobility provider and has introduced swappable battery technology, which is available on the e-scooters being trialled in York.
Tier employees on e-cargo bikes will change the batteries when they run low, thus reducing emissions and congestion on roads, compared to the common industry practice of using vans to collect e-scooters and taking them to be charged in a warehouse.
