Liverpool to extend e-scooter trial for further two years

Amid reduced public transport services during the pandemic, a trial began for the renting of scooters with Liverpool as one of the first cities.

Transcript

00:00e-scooters and e-bikes are to remain a fixture on the city streets for at least another two years.

00:06The Liverpool Council poised to award fresh terms to keep the vehicles on the road.

00:10I'm a big fan for lots of reasons. I think, I know we've got problems, people don't like them on the streets.

00:18It's not the fault of the scooters is it, it's the fault of the people.

00:21I've not been on one of the e-scooters, I've had close encounters with a few that have got a bit close to me

00:28when they've been speeding past.

00:30Well it's good for you if you want to get around quickly and do things,

00:33but I think the speeds, you know, the limitations on the speeds should be done.

00:37Amid reduced public transport services during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020,

00:42the Department for Transport began a trial for the renting of scooters and bikes,

00:46with Liverpool as one of the first cities.

00:48The original deadline for the end of the trials was November 2021,

00:54has been extended ever since. The City Council's existing contract with Voy is due to expire on June 5th.

01:00I use them, I look ridiculous on it, but I love it.

01:02We have to take a picture and leave them in good order,

01:05but it's not necessarily the people who use them who are shifting them in the wrong place.

01:09They're rather dumped when they're not used.

01:11I know there are specific, you see them painted on the pavement, e-scooter zones, areas,

01:17where they're meant to be kept and people pick up, but you just see them sort of randomly around flashing,

01:22which doesn't look good.

01:24A fresh extension of the scheme has now been announced to May 2026,

01:28with the local authority seeking sign-off from its cabinet to keep the vehicles on the streets.

01:33The current contract with the Swedish firm was adopted when Voy adopted areas from Liverpool Council

01:38following the closure of its City Bike Scheme.

01:40A local authority cabinet report in 2022 said the size of the City Bike Scheme reduced year on year

01:46due to theft and vandalism, coupled with a lack of available funding to invest in new bikes.

01:51As a result, the scheme became what the council described as unsustainable

01:55due to the annual losses of around £300,000.

01:59It's a bit like cycle lanes, isn't it?

02:01They've taken away a lot of the road for cars, transport, and put cycle lanes in,

02:06but a lot of people don't use them.

02:08They still prefer the pavements, with pavements for pedestrians.

02:12A cabinet report said how the original trial was procured when e-scooter trials were an unknown quantity.

02:18However, e-scooters have proved more popular than expected.

02:22It's thought the current scheme brings in more than £300,000 in revenue for the City Council,

02:28making the need for a new contract a necessity given the city's financial situation.

02:33Analysis by Liverpool Council said the vehicle had proven very popular,

02:37particularly by a large number of workers, students, visitors and residents,

02:41particularly during spring and summer.

02:43Under the new scheme, it's proposed the area of operation will be expanded under the new concession contract

02:48to cover the whole area within the council's administrative boundaries.

02:52The scooters could also be made available all day long, 24-7,

02:56to support shift workers when public transport is no longer available.