E-SCOOTERS TO BE TRIALLED ON CITY STREETS
ESCOOTERS are to be trialled on Coventry’s streets as part of a groundbreaking scheme which could help revolutionise the way people travel post-lockdown.
Coventry makes up one of four UK Future Mobility Zones which have been told by the government to bring forward rental e-scooter trials from next year to next month.
A priority for the trial will be to see how e-scooters can be safely used in public places to provide people with new ways of travelling once coronavirus lockdown measures are eased, to ease the pressure on public transport.
Until now, e-scooters could only be legally used on private property.
Trials will commence in the West Midlands, West of England Combined Authority, Portsmouth and Southampton, and Derby and Nottingham.
Efforts in the West Midlands are to be focussed in Coventry and Birmingham, and led by the city council, Transport for West Midlands, and Birmingham City Council.
Cllr Patricia Hetherton, Coventry’s cabinet member for city services, said: “This trial is very exciting and we are keen to lead the way on this.
“Our next steps will be to identify a route or routes where we could trial it and then to make sure we can access funding to make it happen.
“Covid-19 means people will be looking for alternative ways to travel so this could play a role in providing a good alternative to the bus or car.”
The trial will look at how e-scooters are able to support connectivity between key public transport interchanges and local centres.
It will also look at the use of e-scooters in other countries, taking inspiration from cities such as Barcelona and Vienna.
The drive comes at the same time a new £250 million government ‘active travel fund’ has been announced by the government to create new popup bike lanes with protected space for cycling - a move previously called for by campaigners in Coventry.
Funding will also be used for wider pavements, safer junctions, and cycle and bus-only corridors.
A Department for Transport spokesman said local authority allocations will be announced shortly.
Councillor Jim O’boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration, said: “We are working hard to ensure people can travel in a range of sustainable ways in and around Coventry.
“We are right at the front of the green revolution with our plans for connected vehicles, Very Light Rail and electric cars and now e-scooters which could play a role in how we move around.
“This trial will also be a good fit for our work on climate change and air quality with e-scooters, just like bikes, proving a good alternative to the car for short journeys.”
Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street added: “This trial will help bring more flexibility, choice, and greener travel solutions for the region, at a time when we are facing a climate emergency and urging people to leave the car at home.
“No region is better equipped than the West Midlands to test, review, and implement trials such as these at pace and scale, and that is testament to the hard work and innovation of those working in our future transport sector.”