E-scooter riders in Bristol and the wider West of England region have clocked up 10 million journeys on Voi's fleet, becoming the first trial in the UK to reach the "significant milestone". The company has now asserted that its for-hire e-scooters are "having a positive impact in Bristol", despite some critics claiming that they pose a danger on our streets, and says its trial is predicted to boost the local economy by £20m.
Voi commenced its operations in Bristol and Bath in October 2020 as part of the government’s e-scooter trials, and has since expanded to cover almost the whole of the West of England, including South Gloucestershire - about 60 square miles in total. It says it has worked closely with the West of England Combined Authority and councils to "evolve the e-scooter service so that it provides a vital addition to the region’s transport network".
Today (April 21) the Swedish company has confirmed that almost 350,000 people have now signed up to use Voi scooters in the West of England, hailing it as "the most popular scheme in the UK". There are now more than 4,000 Voi e-scooters in the region, including some available for long-term hire, and its survey found that nearly a third of users say they use the e-scooters to get to and from work.
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Jack Samler, general manager for Voi UK, Ireland and France, said: “We’re tremendously proud of how our close partnership with the West of England Combined Authority and the unitary authorities in the region has resulted in such a successful and popular e-scooter scheme.
“Our shared e-cooters are having such a positive impact In Bristol - over 33 per cent of riders said they were using scooters instead of cars, taxis and motorbikes which is great for reducing congestion and pollution in the city - and they’re also boosting the region’s economy.
“We will continue to look at how we can constantly improve our service, whether it be by encouraging users to ride safely and considerately or looking to accommodate requests for more parking or scooters at key locations.”
Voi says it commissioned independent research which found that the West of England e-scooter trial is "likely to provide a boost of just under £20 million to the local economy" over its course. Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said: “Being the first e-scooter trial to reach the significant milestone of 10 million rides shows just how popular and important e-scooters are as a sustainable form of transport for residents and visitors in Bristol.
"E-scooters will soon have given our local economy a welcome £20 million boost, with a third of riders using them to commute to work.” Kathryn Davis managing director at Visit West, added: “As well as being a very practical way of getting from A to B, the Voi scooters have become a tourism experience in their own right.
"The scooters have definitely opened up more areas in the region for visitors as well as locals to explore and discover new places to enjoy. This helps disperse visitors across a wider area, and spreads the economic benefit of the visitor economy.”
Voi says it liaises closely with the councils and partners on transport plans for events such as Tokyo World and Love Saves the Day festivals, and manages parking through a mixture of fixed marked parking zones, racks or by 'geo fencing' - GPS technology showing a rider where (and where not) to park.
It claims this "makes sure scooters are not obstructing the way for pedestrians and cyclists" and any reports of badly parked e-scooters are "swiftly dealt with by Voi’s experienced teams in Bristol and Bath", although some Bristol residents have complained to Bristol Live previously about this issue of pavements being blocked.
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