Enhanced e-scooter and e-bike scheme to offer more opportunities
New plans to improve public hire e-scooter and e-bike operations have been approved today by Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for transport.
Councillor Gareth Epps approved plans for a contract that jointly covers hire e-scooters and e-bikes by a single operator when the council’s current contract for e-scooters expires on 30 September 2026.
Once in place, the contract is specifically intended to offer more travel choice to more people by:
- Expanding hire e-scooter and e-bike operations in Oxford, subject to local and DfT approval, to surrounding areas including Botley, Kennington, Kidlington and Horspath, and potentially out to Abingdon and Wheatley.
- Introducing hire e-bike trials across the Science Vale area, and separately, Bicester.
The plans also include a wider network of dedicated parking locations for public hire e-bikes and e-scooters, including an increase in on-road parking bays.
Councillor Gareth Epps, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “I am very excited about the opportunities and benefits the e-scooter and e-bike scheme will bring. It can give our market towns a more level footing with some of the transport benefits enjoyed by the city, while also building in stronger controls to monitor and enforce responsible use of e-bikes and e-scooters on our streets – including safer riding and parking.”
The new contract follows the Department for Transport’s recent announcement to extend the national hire e-scooter trials to May 2028. It will build on learning from current hire e-scooter and e-bike operations in Oxford. Priority requirements for the scheme operator include safety, high operating standards and improvements in parking.
The operator will be required to provide comprehensive data so the council can understand the impact of e-scooters and e-bikes on our Local Transport and Connectivity Plan, inform longer term decision-making around hire e-bike schemes in the county towns, and effectively monitor the operator’s performance including management of rider behaviour and parking.
More detail will be confirmed after the contract has been awarded.
Notes to editors
The contract supports the vision and priorities set out in Oxfordshire County Council’s Local Transport and Connectivity Plan.
Oxford has been a part of the national e-scooter trial since 2001. Public hire e-scooters are permitted to travel on the main highway and cycleways (but not on the pavement) depending on any other restrictions that may apply. Privately bought e-scooters are not legally permitted in public spaces (including on footpaths and public bridleways). Public-hire e-scooters are designed to meet strict specifications set out by UK government.
Both public hire and private e-bikes are required to comply with speed limits set out in micromobility guidelines.
Public hire e-bikes and e-scooters must be used responsibly in accordance with guidelines – see more on e-bikes and e-scooters.
Cabinet Member for Decision report (Item 6, page 3, pages 39-70).
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