Published date 31 October 2022

Long-term operator sought for West of England e-scooters

E-scooters parked in a line.

E-scooters have become a familiar sight across the West of England during the national e-scooter trial which has been running since October 2020.

Now the West of England will be looking for a company to take the scheme to the next level and have issued a “Prior Information Notice to the market” to kick off the tender process.

E-scooters could continue to be provided by a single operator or alternatively a group of operators could bid to run the e-scooters alongside e-bikes and e-cargo bikes.

Over 280,000 people have used e-scooters in the West of England making 6 million journeys since the trial began.

Metro Mayor Dan Norris said:
“The trial has had some notable successes with over a quarter of a million local people using them - which is record breaking nationwide. But there have also been challenges including on safety. I back schemes that encourage people to leave the car behind and help us to meet our ambitious net zero targets. I would very much like to encourage providers to now come forward and explain how they would provide a reliable, safe and affordable service for West of England residents.”

The new scheme is expected to start in 2023. The current operator Voi will run e-scooters until the new contract is awarded so there is no gap in provision for residents.

Related Articles

Count
Metro Mayor Dan Norris in a glass blowing cafe
Published date23 June 2021
Bath glass business plans new artisan café
Metro Mayor Dan Norris inside Concorde
Published date25 March 2022
Metro Mayor’s tourism campaign takes off
A woman smiling with a kid on the lap next to the Mayor Dan Norris
Published date9 August 2024
Singing across the generations in Paulton
Wind turbine on the coast
Published date2 February 2022
Green jobs plan for West of England students