Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and Birmingham City Council is leading on the development of e-scooter rental trial in the West Midlands. The trial is in partnership with the other 6 other West Midlands local authorities (Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton) and Warwickshire.
Legislation
New legislation has been passed by the Department of Transport to accelerate the deployment of e-scooter trials across the UK, to assist with the sustainable reopening of the economy and transport systems as the country emerges from the COVID-19 lockdown.
Operator
Work has now started to find the suitable e-scooter operator(s), with TfWM, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), starting the tender process. The appointment is expected in August, with the roll-out of a twelve-month trial expected by the end of August. Some 30 potential operators have shown an initial interest in running the trial scheme.
Trials
The trials will take place in dedicated zones in each local authority, which has been selected carefully to be manageable in size, covering areas where existing on-highway infrastructure is in place to safely accommodate e-scooter use. The trial specification will require interested operators to adhere to local rules, which focus on tackling issues of parking and safety. TfWM and the West Midlands local authorities are now focusing on engaging with key stakeholders and residents to understand local concerns and further develop rules for when the e-scooters are launched. To find out more, click here.
