News / Transport
Bristol could become a trial city for electric scooters
Electric scooters could soon be as familiar a sight across Bristol as bicycles if the city becomes a test area for the vehicles.
Discussions have already been taking place between the city council and the Department for Transport, with Bristol keen to be a trial city for e-scooters.
Despite their widespread use, it is still technically unlawful to ride e-scooters either on the road or the pavement.
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National legislation will have to be altered ahead of the implementation of the trial areas which as well as Bristol could also include Portsmouth, Southampton, Derby and Nottingham.
Bristol mayor Marvin Rees has been advocating for some time to make Bristol a trial city for the electric vehicles.
E-scooter hire company Bird were one of the main sponsors of the Global Parliament of Mayors event which Rees hosted in Bristol in 2018.
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Like YoBike – whose yellow bicycles have been removed from the streets of Bristol during the coronavirus pandemic – Bird’s scooter rental scheme is dockless, with users unlocking a scooter with an app and paying per minute of use.
A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “We’re very keen to introduce and encourage different modes of travelling around the city – including via e-scooter – that reduce congestion and improve air quality.
“This is especially important in relation to our post-Covid-19 recovery and the continuing need for citizens to socially distance.
“We are in conversation with the Department for Transport and we’ve been initiating these discussions for some time.
“They have recently brought forward plans to trial e-scooters in various parts of the country, with Bristol being one of the potential trial areas.
“These conversations are ongoing in terms of legislation and logistics, but we are hopeful that in light of the current crisis, the Department for Tranport’s support is growing.”
Main photo: Pure Electric
Read more: Bristol’s most ambitious improvements to walking and cycling in a generation
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