Swedish Voi e-scooter trial for West Midlands

Swedish company Voi has been appointed to operate e-scooters in the West Midlands with a trial taking place firstly in Birmingham and Coventry with a further roll out across the wider region.

Lucy Yu, Voi's Director of Public Policy, said:

'In the UK, 60 per cent of car journeys are between one and three miles, which significantly increases congestion. Cars no longer suit the way we live today, and we estimate that 20 per cent of short journeys could be replaced by low-carbon e-scooters with a minimum five-year lifespan. E-scooters provide a compelling alternative that will outrun the car'.

Voi launched Europe's first dock-less e-scooter service in 2018 and now operates in 45 cities across eleven countries.

The tender process was started last month by the TfWM, part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

Mayor of West Midlands, Andy Street said:

'The West Midlands is proud to be leading the way on future transport development, and it is great to be able to partner with Voi and reveal our plans for e-scooters across the region.

'E-scooters will help bring more flexibility, choice and greener travel solutions for the West Midlands, at a time when we are facing a climate emergency and urging people to leave the car at home. E-scooters unquestionably offer a healthier, more environmentally friendly, alternative to the car for shorter journeys around our towns and cities, which will in turn help to ease traffic congestion and tackle air pollution.

'As well as the improvements to our transport network, e-scooters could also be a much-needed boost for the region's economy, helping to attract people back into our town and city centres'.

The trial will run for 12 months and will be closely reviewed by the Department of Transport and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM). Up to 10,000 e-scooters are due to be deployed across the region with Voi providing in person and online rider education.