UK demand delays e-scooters' return to city centre

E-scooters haven't been available for hire in Nottingham since December

E-scooters are set to be available for hire in Nottingham again later this year, the city council has said.

The authority previously said the on-street service would be up and running this summer, after the scheme was withdrawn in December when provider Superpedestrian closed down.

Now, it is anticipated residents will be able to take up the service again by September or October.

Nottingham City Council said the delay in finding a new service provider was caused by demand from other UK cities.

The city council has already prepared 200 parking points for e-scooters and e-bikes

Lisa Darbyshire, 57, of Moorgreen, near Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, told the BBC the return of the e-scooter was "a good idea".

The marketing worker said e-scooter riders needed to be especially careful in busy areas of the city centre, such as the current beach attraction in the Market Square.

"When people hire them out, they need to be provided with the rules and regulations, perhaps there should be a specific track for them, like cycle lanes.

"I want people to be careful and cautious," she added. "They could be a good thing, provided they are used correctly."

Lisa Darbyshire gave a cautious welcome to news of the return of e-scooters

Pensioner Pauline Richards, 80, from Clifton, said news of their return was "great".

She added: "I'd like to rent one today, but there isn't one. I am at that time of my life, finding it difficult to walk a distance.

"I can then leave my car at home, get the tram, and then a scooter. But people should watch their speed."

A council spokesperson said: "We are nearing completion of the tender process and hope to announce the winning supplier in late August or early September.

"We expect e-scooters to be operational again in September or October."

The city council has already rolled out more than 200 so-called "corrals" to encourage users to park e-bikes and e-scooters in an orderly manner.

The winning operator will have to find suitable premises in the city, recruit staff to operate the scheme, and ensure the phone app to run it is ready for launch.

The council said it will also need to seek final approval from the Department for Transport.

'Pedestrian safety'

The council said it had "accelerated plans" for a replacement e-scooter service, but arranging contracts can take between six to nine months, and sometimes even longer.

The spokesperson added: "A number of other local authorities were also procuring e-scooter services around the same time, so bidders did request additional time to formulate their responses.

"This was granted to allow for high quality tenders to be received. The council is keen to improve upon the previous scheme."

The council said bidders were asked to explain what operational and technological approaches they would use to ensure pedestrian safety.

This included details of enforcement, the education of riders, and response times to address incorrectly parked e-scooters.

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