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.
