Riders generally back scheme ‘as long as it is used correctly’
PEOPLE who have rented the Voi scooters spoke positively of the experience whilst admitting they have seen some breaking the rules
Southsea couple Harry Holt and Leila-Rose Lynch decided to rent a Voi scooter for half an hour after paying £1 to unlock them before paying 20p a minute.
Harry, 25, said the scooters, which also have 24-hour and 30-day subscriptions available, were enjoyable to ride. ‘It was pretty good. It’s a nice leisure thing to do especially when the weather is nice,’ he said.
‘They are fairly slow and basically you stop or go when using them. They slow down automatically in certain zones.’
Leila-Rose, 28, added: ‘We were given rude hand signals by some drivers but you are always going to get idiots. We’ve seen riders going on the pavement but if used correctly it is a good scheme.’
Users have to join the Voi app when they first register before taking a selfie picture and uploading their driving licence and then taking a photo at the end of their journey.
Kevin Piotrowicz, 42, of Southsea, said he ‘didn’t expect to have to’ go through the process again before rental having already signed up on the app.
Speaking of his reason for renting an e-scooter, he said: ‘I just thought I’d give it a go with my mates on a nice day. Hopefully I won’t fall off.’
Southsea friends Neil Crossley and John Dunn enjoyed the experience and believe it could be bad news for taxis. ‘We’ve had a great time. I think they could lead to a change in how you get about for short journeys,’ Neil, 39, said.
‘I think people will be more keen to use this than a taxi or an Uber.’
He added: ‘I’ve seen loads of kids clearly with no driving licence riding them on pavements but I don’t see a problem if they are used correctly. And they are better than the illegal ones which go a lot faster.’
John, 51, said: ‘It took a few seconds to get my balance but it was fine after that. You have to push it off before the engine kicks in. They are surprisingly powerful off the mark. I wasn’t intimidated using one on the road.’