The City of York Council has announced a year-long e-scooter trial with German micromobility operator Tier Mobility, following a tender process involving over 15 other applicants.
The first e-scooters will be deployed at the University of York in a few weeks and discussions are currently taking place as to whether York Hospital will also be able to host the scheme.
The UK Department for Transport-approved scheme will initially see up to 100 e-scooters deployed, with more e-scooters and Tier e-bikes to come. Renting an e-scooter in York will cost riders £1 to unlock the vehicle and 15p per minute travelled.
According to Tier, its e-scooters come with a raft of safety features including an integrated helmet, the largest front wheel in the market, a wider foot plate, dual suspension, a double kick-stand and dual drum brakes for stable riding on uneven surfaces and conditions.
Cllr Andy D’Agorne, executive member for transport at City of York Council, said: “This will provide a fantastic opportunity to explore how e-scooters might add to the mix of sustainable transport options, whilst helping to improve air quality and expand our electrical vehicle charging offer.
“We’re excited to approve the trial in York and to be working alongside Tier. Together we will ensure there are clear and effective channels of communication which are critically important to get early warning of any issues that need to be addressed, to assess the impact and to learn all the lessons from the trial.”
Tier recently announced that it is rolling out swappable batteries across its fleet to remove the need to collect and transport the vehicles to a warehouse for charging. York will reportedly benefit from this model.
