Controversial electric scooter rental scheme in Portsmouth set to be extended for another 6 months

A CONTROVERSIAL e-scooter rental trial in the city is set to be extended by a further six months, following a request from the Department for Transport.
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Next week, city council cabinet member Lynne Stagg will be asked to approve an extension of the Voi scheme until the end of November which, a report says, will also allow more data about its effectiveness to be collected.

'The trial has enabled e-scooters to be introduced in a controlled and safe manner from which we can provide evidence as to their suitability as a transport mode in Portsmouth,' the report says. 'This evidence will inform the DfT's evaluation process as it considers whether to legalise e-scooters for the longer-term following the trials.'

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The e-scooter rental trial is going to launch in Portsmouth.

Pictured: Voi scooter team, Jon Hamer, Maria Sassetti and Nikolina Kotur on the e-scooters at Portsmouth Guildhall walk on 15 March 2021.
Picture: Habibur RahmanThe e-scooter rental trial is going to launch in Portsmouth.

Pictured: Voi scooter team, Jon Hamer, Maria Sassetti and Nikolina Kotur on the e-scooters at Portsmouth Guildhall walk on 15 March 2021.
Picture: Habibur Rahman
The e-scooter rental trial is going to launch in Portsmouth. Pictured: Voi scooter team, Jon Hamer, Maria Sassetti and Nikolina Kotur on the e-scooters at Portsmouth Guildhall walk on 15 March 2021. Picture: Habibur Rahman
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Councillor Stagg initially extended the trial through to the end of this month but said at the time that this could be pushed back again to November 30, 2022.

She said the scheme has been 'successful' in helping reduce car journeys and praied operator Voi for being 'responsive' in dealing with incidents.

'If they are ridden properly they are a great asset for our city - they are an effective alternative to car journeys, helping to deal with our air pollution problem,' she said while also raising concerns about the illegal use of privately-owned e-scooters.

Data published ahead of her Friday decision-making meeting shows more than 35,000 different people have used one of the e-scooters since their roll-out last year and 'conservatively' estimates they have replaced more than 100,000 car journeys.

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'Extending the trial will help facilitate e-scooter integration into wider schemes including Bike Share, Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and freight micro-consolidation options,' the report adds. 'It is currently anticipated that MaaS will be launched this spring and Bike Share this summer.'

It also follows the decision of the council planning committee to approve outline plans for a 'transport hub' on the park and ride site which, the council hopes, will increase e-scooter usage.

The report says ending the trial this month 'could slow progress towards micromobility achieving its true potential in Portsmouth'.

The government had planned to convert e-scooter trials being run across the country into pilot schemes this year but at the end of last year told councils 'it would be helpful' if they were extended to November.

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