Cycle and e-scooter hire scheme to be extended

The scheme will be extended six months past its contract ending while a new provider is found

A scheme that allows people to hire bicycles and e-scooters in the West Midlands will be extended.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) will extend the contracts for the scheme by six months when it ends in October while it finds a new provider.

Bosses want the new agreement, which would come into effect from 1 April, not to rely on a public subsidy to keep the scheme going.

A final decision on the future of the scheme will be taken by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) later in the year.

The issue was discussed at the authority's transport delivery overview and scrutiny committee meeting on Monday.

Councillor Leslie Kay said the scheme needed to consider safety, having witnessed '"reckless cycling" in pedestrian areas.

But councillor Liz Clements said she supported the scheme and would be against any measures that discouraged cycling.

She said: "Because of the number of complaints I get from residents in my ward, I have not been a great fan of the e-scooters because I have some safety concerns about them.

"But I've come round to them because I've been presented with data that showed they were a significant factor in mode shift, and a lot of the journeys that are being made on e-scooters would otherwise be done by private car."

While supportive of the scheme, Clements said she also shared concerns about the lack of a proper regulatory framework for e-scooters, which she hoped would be resolved by the government instead of continuing to extend pilot schemes.

She added: "We need these micro-mobility schemes available to give people other options than just driving vehicles."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.