Portsmouth e-scooter trial set for six-month extension

The e-scooters are available for hire in the city using a phone app

A trial hire scheme for e-scooters is set to be extended by a further six months.

The electric-powered scooters are expected to continue to be be available across Portsmouth until the end of November.

It is estimated they have replaced more than 100,000 car journeys in the city since their roll-out last year.

Portsmouth City Council is set to officially approve the extension of the trial later this week.

A city council report says ending the trial this month "could slow progress towards micro-mobility achieving its true potential in Portsmouth".

New data has revealed that more than 35,000 different people have used one of the Voi e-scooters in the city since their roll-out last March, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It is not yet known if the scheme will also be extended in Southampton, where it was first introduced last spring.

Evidence gathered throughout the trials will be evaluated by the Department for Transport as it considers whether to legalise e-scooters across the country.

Currently, privately-owned e-scooters are banned in the UK anywhere except on private land.