News / Transport
Voi trial to be extended into 2022
Voi e-scooters have now been on our streets for one year, with almost 2.5m rides in that time making the trial scheme the most successful scheme in Europe for the Swedish operator.
The coral-coloured vehicles will be staying until at least March 2022 as the trial is extended by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA).
The scheme – which has not been without teething problems – runs in Bristol, Bath and South Gloucestershire, with the aim of enabling everyone to be able to get what they need within a quarter of an hour without using a car.
is needed now More than ever
Voi UK & Ireland general manager, Jack Samler, said that it has been “such an exciting last 12 months” contributing to a “transformation into cleaner, greener, and more environmentally-friendly places to live”.
He said: “We are delighted to have been given more time to build on our success so far. We will continue to listen to users, the local community, and key stakeholders – such as disability and visually-impaired groups – to ensure micromobility can work for everyone.
“This trial extension will be invaluable, and can only help to strengthen an already truly collaborative partnership.
“We look forward to continuing our mission in Bath, Bristol, and South Gloucestershire to transform our cities for the better.”
There is now a limit on the number of Voi scooters that can be parked in a certain area but earlier on in the trial, scenes like this in Redland were not uncommon – photo: Tom Archer
Bristol mayor Marvin Rees said: “E-scooters are a great way to travel around the city and they are proving popular in Bristol and our wider region.
“It is particularly important that we are providing another low-emission alternative to short car journeys, alongside our ongoing improvements to bus, walking and cycling journeys across the city and plans for a mass transit system.”
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Read more: Guide Dogs urge council to ‘act now’ and allow e-scooters to be parked on roads
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South Gloucestershire’s cabinet member for regeneration, environment & strategic infrastructure, Steve Reade added: “It can take time to adapt to innovative technologies and new initiatives and we are keen to work with WECA and Voi to ensure the trial is a success and e-scooters, which are contributing positively to our climate change ambitions, are given that chance to become a credible alternative to car travel in the region.”
Voi have even made a music video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1DHhcmN-Ls
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read more:
- Footage of duo riding e-scooter along M32
- Pavement parking racks installed for hire e-scooters
- Call for e-scooters to be banned due to safety fears
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