E-scooter trial renewed in Gloucestershire following "overwhelming" positive feedback
The trial will carry on into next year
Last updated 9th Nov 2021
The electric scooter trial in Gloucestershire will be extended into next year.
The county is currently taking part in a Department for Transport trial of e-scooters to gather evidence about their use and whether to change their legal status.
E-scooters are currently illegal to use on the public highway, although this has been suspended for the vehicles included in the trial.
Under the current trial, the e-scooters may be used on the road, except motorways and in cycle lanes, within the approved trial area.
They must not be used on the pavement.
Zwings, the company operating the scheme in Gloucestershire, says it has proved a great success integrating into the local transport mix.
They say the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive after having welcomed almost 50,000 unique riders to use Zwings e-scooters.
Those riders have covered the equivalent cumulative distance to travelling from Gloucester Cathedral to well beyond the moon.
Gloucestershire County Council’s environment and transport cabinet member David Gray (Con, Winchcombe and Woodmancote) said e-scooters are an exciting part of the future of green travel and he is pleased to hear the trial is being renewed.
“Gloucestershire is fighting hard to tackle climate change and improve air quality for our residents and e-scooters are part of that effort, offering clean and inexpensive travel, especially for younger people.
“The trial is an opportunity to try out operating models for the scooters, including extra safety measures, helping to ensure that everyone can get around our towns and cities safely.”
According to a recent survey, 94% of riders were in favour of Zwings rental e-scooters being made a longer-term part of Gloucestershire’s transport infrastructure.
And 92% of respondents considered Zwings’ e-scooters an effective substitute for short car journeys.
Also, 40% of respondents had used the e-scooters specifically for commuting.
Councillor Roger Whyborn (Benhall and Up Hatherley), Liberal Democrat transport spokesman, said it was important to see how local people feel about the arrivel of e-scooters.
“I’m really pleased to see the claims of a reduction in CO2 emissions, and it would be really interesting to know how many people have been using e-scooters for essential journeys like commuting to work or whether they are predominantly used for leisure,” he said.
“Before e-scooters can be allowed to become permanent features, it’s especially important to hear residents’ concerns about riders’ behaviour and about safety, both as it affects the riders themselves and other road users.”
Joe Lewin, CEO of Zwings, thanked local councils for their forward-thinking stance on transportation.
“Clearly, the high usage of Zwings’ authorised rental vehicles is an indicator of an exciting future with e-scooters becoming part of everyday life,” he said.
“Therefore, the trials have proven that rider education, rule enforcement, the development of infrastructure, and responsible e-scooter usage will allow this increasingly popular mode of travel to gradually integrate into Britain’s transport mix.
“It is great to see our e-scooters being increasingly used for practical trips that directly replace cars.
This has been stimulated through various campaigns and initiatives such as the Zwings ‘Ride Pass’ subscription.
“Our service is used by all ages and backgrounds too. Our most active rider has used our scooters for as many as 336 journeys this past year.
“We are looking forward to continuing to work closely with Gloucestershire County Council into 2022 following the announcement of the extension to the scheme.”
According to the company’s statistics, 43% of riders in Cheltenham and Gloucester are aged 35 or above, while the oldest representative of this group is 88 years old.