E-scooter trial in Birmingham paused as contract ends

In Birmingham there were an average 30,000 rides a week taken, using a fleet of approximately 2,000 e-scooters.

A trial of electric scooters in Birmingham will be paused from next week, the firm behind them has announced.

The contract between Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and the Swedish company Voi, which supplied the vehicles, has ended amid a bid for a new provider.

Both TfWM and the council said they would "learn from current experience and continue to carefully consider the safety of the travelling public".

The current service ends on 1 March.

A statement from TfWM said: "It was hoped there would be a seamless transition to a new contract but owing to delays procuring the contract while awaiting clarity over national e-scooter legislation, that has not been possible.

"We know this will be hugely inconvenient for the many existing e-scooter rental customers. However, people are reminded it remains illegal to ride a private e-scooter on public roads and in public places.

The halted scheme follows the death of a 12-year-old boy after an e-scooter he was riding crashed with a bus in the city.

On Monday, a rider, 16, was left with life-threatening injuries after his e-scooter collided with a car near Stoney Lane in Balsall Heath.

Both events have led to wider questions over the safety of the vehicles. Voi states that only those aged 18 or over, with a full or provisional UK driving licence can use the scooters, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has said.

E-scooters have been trialled across major cities in the UK since 2020.

The transport public body has said the e-scooter operation has provided "significant transport and environmental benefits" to the region with a minimum of 25% of the 2.2 million trips taken estimated to have used a scooter instead of a car.