Solent Transport and its partners are delighted to announce that Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council and the Isle of Wight Council have all approved an extension of the e-scooter trial to May 2024. The approval comes after the Department for Transport (DfT) invited local authorities to extend trials to May 2024.

E-scooters have been on the Isle of Wight since November 2020 and in Portsmouth and Southampton since March 2021. The trial has been very well received, with over 139,000 registered users riding a total of 1.37millon trips. Together these trips have covered just under 3.6 million kms with an average ride time of just less than 15 minutes in Portsmouth and Southampton, and more than 18 minutes on the Isle of Wight.

The trial aims to help reduce congestion, reduce CO2 emissions, improve air quality, and inspire sustainable travel choices across the Solent region. So far e-scooters have replaced more than half a million car trips and have saved an equivalent of 282 tonnes of CO2 emissions in Portsmouth and Southampton together.

Currently there are 118 e-scooters available on the Isle of Wight, over 800 in available Portsmouth and 1,400 in Southampton. This year more e-scooter rental parking has been installed in both cities, meaning people are never far away from a place to pick up or drop off an e-scooter.

E-scooters can be hired using Breeze, the new transport app for the Solent region, as well as the Voi and Beryl apps. Every e-scooter has a unique registration number, with geofencing technology used to track their location. To hire an e-scooter, you must have a driving licence and be at least aged 18. Users are encouraged to wear a helmet and take virtual safety training via the mobile phone apps before their first ride. A range of payment options is available, including pay-as-you-go, daily and monthly passes and minute bundles.

The e-scooter trials are part of the Solent Future Transport Zone, funded by the Department for Transport. Moving forward, Solent Transport will continue to monitor rental e-scooter usage, working closely with local stakeholders. This collaborative work will ensure the whole community can provide feedback to the trial and that there are wider benefits from the continuation of this green and affordable way to travel.

Source: Solent Transport