Oxford e-scooter trial extended to March 2022
The e-scooter trial in Oxford has been extended to 31 March 2022
Residents and visitors to Oxford can continue to hire e-scooters as the trial has been formally extended by four months from its original end date today (30 November 2021) to 31 March 2022.
The extension will ensure that people who rely on e-scooters to travel around Oxford can continue to do so. It will also allow Oxfordshire County Council to gather more evidence on how e-scooters are being used
Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: "These e-scooters are a genuinely useful and low-carbon mode of transport to make short journeys across the city of Oxford.
"As a county council, we are committed to addressing climate change and transport innovation is a key part of that. With the extension of the trial, many more residents can now benefit from a convenient, green, low-cost alternative to cars."
The trial, led by the council and partner, Voi Technology, Europe's leading micromobility company, started in February 2021 and has been running for nine months. Voi is part of a UK Government initiative to provide direct and greener transport options around non-pedestrianised areas in busy towns and cities. Voi’s trial has also been extended in all 16 towns and cities that it operates in across the UK.
To date there have been 118,000 trips using the e-scooters, replacing an estimated 40,000 short car journeys across the city as well as helping improve local air quality by preventing around 21 tonnes of C02 emissions from being released into the atmosphere.
As part of its commitment to the local community, Voi has provided over 11,000 free or discounted rides to NHS and emergency service staff under the ‘Voi 4 Heroes’ scheme since the beginning of the pandemic.
Jack Samler, General Manager at Voi UK and Ireland, said: “We’re delighted to continue our successful relationship with Oxfordshire County Council as the scheme goes from strength to strength following the recent expansion in the city. Today’s announcement is also welcome news for thousands of people who’ve made this environmentally-friendly mode of transport part of their everyday lives.
"To help the world turn the corner on climate change, we all need to change the way we live, work and travel in order to improve the environment. We are determined to continue working with our partners to transform our urban spaces and create better, healthier cities for living.”
To ride a scooter around the city, users can download the Voi app free on Apple App Store or Google Play. Users must be over 18 years old with at least a valid provisional drivers licence. They should also complete Voi’s online safety school - https://ridelikevoila.com/enter (where riders can receive free credits) - before riding, and also wear a helmet.
It costs £1 to unlock a Voi scooter, and then 20p per minute to ride. Voi also offers several subscriptions that allow users to take an unlimited number of rides at a fixed rate as well as special rates for students and those on low incomes. Details of these are available through the app and on Voi’s website: https://www.voiscooters.com/voi-4-discounts/
Oxford has parking racks and zones across the city and speed restrictions to help e-scooter riders keep themselves and others safe. More information is available through Voi’s app and the website: https://www.voiscooters.com/ride-safe/
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