Barnstaple e-scooter trial to start

The bright yellow e-scooters will start appearing around the town later in May

A fleet of electric scooters will soon be available in Barnstaple as part of national trials taking place.

The scheme provided a green alternative to getting around the town, North Devon District Council said.

The council has partnered with firm Zipp Mobility to provide the service, which is approved by the Department for Transport (DfT).

It is due to go live on Wednesday 17 May, with a launch event being held in the town.

The council said safety was "at the core" of the scheme and free training sessions could be pre-booked online.

The scooters will be using geofencing technology, which creates virtual geographical boundaries, to prevent riders from going into wholly pedestrian areas or onto major roads and the maximum speed limit will be 15.5mph.

They will be available 24 hours a day.

'Huge potential'

Ken Miles, chief executive of the council, said: "We are working in close collaboration with stakeholders such as Devon and Cornwall Police, the Royal National Institute for the Blind and Barnstaple Town Council, to help ensure the safety and viability of the trial.

"In line with our commitment to tackle the climate emergency, e-scooters have a lower environmental footprint, with huge potential to improve air quality and reduce climate change."

In order to ride an e-scooter, a user must be at least 16 years old and hold at least a provisional driving license.

They will cost £1 to unlock and 20p per minute thereafter, and will be booked and paid for via an app.

There will be virtual parking bays at approved locations around Barnstaple, the council added.

The council said it was in effect a continuation of a trial from May 2021 to October 2022 at Petroc College sites with a different provider, for which there was "very little take-up".

The authority said this was due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, with Petroc students not coming back full time to study on site "for some time".