Will we all soon be able to scoot the breeze?
SAY hello to what could be the latest mode of transport coming to Newcastle – the e-scooter.
The two-wheeled gizmos could soon be a fixture of the roads as part of efforts to reduce air pollution across the city.
The coronavirus pandemic has further highlighted the need for cutting down on car journeys and easing congestion.
Rules set out by the Department of Transport in June have meant local authorities across the UK can now run e-scooter sharing schemes.
Teesside was chosen as the location for the UK’s first trial of an e-scooter rental project in July and council bosses on Tyneside are now bidding to follow suit.
Privately owned e-scooters remain illegal to use on roads, pavements, parks and other public areas.
The only place you can currently ride your own e-scooter is on private land with the permission of the landowner.
If you are caught riding a privately owned e-scooter on a public road, you could get a £300 fine and six points on your driving licence. The scooter you are riding could also be seized.
With Newcastle set to become the latest UK city to host a 12-months e-scooter trial, we spoke to one of the firms vying for the chance to become the city’s chosen operator.
Bird operates e-scooters in 120 cities around the world and is already running trials in the Olympic Park in London and Redditch in Worcestershire with another in Canterbury, Kent, on the way.
Riders who use a rented e-scooter will need a full or provisional car, motorcycle or moped licence, must be aged at least 16 and will be urged to wear a helmet. However, some firms, such as Bird, have a policy whereby riders must be over the age of 18.
Only rental e-scooters will be allowed on roads and they will be limited to 15.5mph, though local areas may choose to have lower speed limits.
Harry Porter, general manager at Bird, says e-scooters would add a “huge new dimension” to the way people travel in Newcastle.
He said: “It would be lovely to operate in Newcastle. Bird would really help people to get around the city in a more environmentally friendly way.
“The coronavirus is horrendous and has caused a lot of devastation.
“One of the things we’ve seen is that air quality in cities has improved and many people want to keep it that way. “When you look around the world, there are very few countries where e-scooters are not allowed. They play a really important role in urban transport.
“It is bonkers to think people are taking cars to do a trip you could actually do on a Bird without any congestion or pollution. This is what we directly want to address.
“On an e-scooter you’re outside in the fresh air and on your own, which is a much safer way to get around.”
With Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council among those to widen pavements and install cycle
If you look around the world, there are very few countries where e-scooters are not allowed Harry Porter
lanes in busy areas to allow for social distancing, it seems an ideal time to introduce e-scooters to the North East.
And a ‘test drive’ on private land in the city allowed our reporter to see for himself how they could help to transform the habits of residents.
The controls are easy to use and the e-scooter provides a smooth – and incredibly fun – drive.
With a battery life lasting up to 30 miles, it provides an alternative, and easier, option to public transport while being environmentally friendly.
Cycle hire company Mobike pulled its distinctive orange and silver bikes out of Newcastle and Gateshead last year.
The bikes were the targets of numerous acts of vandalism, which saw them set on fire, abandoned and dumped in the River Tyne.
But Harry has said the e-scooters have a number of features to alleviate fears that they would suffer a similar fate if Bird were chosen as the Newcastle operator.
He said: “Our scooters are all GPS-connected so we know where they are. We have people in the cities to ensure they are in the right places and not being vandalised.
“We can create no-park zones and use geo-fencing so if there is an area of the city the council does not want riders we can fit that into the GPS and as soon as the scooter crosses that boundary it will simply stop working.
“We can also adjust the speed restrictions on certain roads. For pedestrianised streets we could set a 5mph limit on the scooters.
“You have to scan your provisional or full driving licence as part of the restrictions. We will check the licence and approve it. If someone is using a scooter which is not intended for them we can track them down and warn them or ban them from using our app.”
Some may feel e-scooters are targeted at the younger generation, but Harry says that simply isn’t the case.
He said: “Our e-scooters are really open to anyone. When we opened in the Olympic Park, we had a lovely 85-year-old lady came into the park with her walking stick.
“She got off happy as can be and said she hadn’t moved so freely for around 40 years. It was incredible.
“In places where Bird operates you’re just as likely to see a man in a suit nipping across town to go to a meeting as you are a student going to lectures.”
Newcastle City Council is expected to reveal the winning bid for the e-scooter trial in the near future.
A spokeswoman said: “As a city we need to think carefully about how people travel and get around and as part of this we are looking to increase opportunities for people to walk, cycle or use other forms of active travel.
“This will help us to reduce car journeys which will tackle congestion on our roads and improve our air quality, which is better for everybody’s health.
“As part of the city’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we have already, using Government funding and emergency powers, been developing temporary walking and cycling routes, which were in higher demand after lockdown restrictions were introduced.
“Following on from this we have also expressed an interest to the Government in being a trial city for the potential use of e-scooters.
“This would help to test the suitability of e-scooters to be used on public roads and help to determine whether their use could be legalised.
“Before we can submit formal proposals for the Government to consider, we must set out plans for how such a trial could operate in the city and identify an approved operator who we would intend to work with.
“We understand that some people have concerns about the use of such scooters and any chosen operator would have to be clear on how they’d manage these concerns and minimise risk to people.”