Redditch e-scooter trial paused as contract ends early

The Bird e-scooter trial had been set to end on 31 March 2024

A trial of e-scooters in Worcestershire is to be put on hold after the company behind it pulled out.

The contract between operator Bird and Redditch Borough Council will end on Wednesday.

Hire e-scooters have been trialled in the town since October 2020, with the scheme initially set to end in March 2024.

Bird said it was "proud" of the success of the trial, with more than 120,000 scooter rides in Redditch.

A spokesperson for the firm said the rides had saved 4.2 tonnes of CO2 emissions and had "become an integral part of people's daily commute".

"The trial has further shown the high safety level of Bird scooters with an incident rate of 0.00007% rides in Redditch in 2022," they added.

The scooters, which can be ridden by people over 18 with at least a provisional licence, had been launched in a bid to encourage people leave their cars at home.

'More notice'

Councillor Matt Dormer, from Redditch Borough Council, said there were "lessons to be learned" if the government decided to extend the trial beyond March.

"Many people in Redditch have enjoyed the transport and environmental benefits of Bird's service to get to work and around the town," he added.

He said the pause in service was "disappointing" but it would allow the local authority to "reflect" on the trial and to decide what would be done moving forwards.

Mr Dormer also said the council could have received "more notice" about the end of the contract from Bird, adding that he believed the end of trial had been a commercial decision by the supplier.

He added that the e-scooters had been used "very "responsibly" and "respectfully" by many people in the town as an "affordable" means of transport.