West of England e-scooter trial evaluation final report

Chatterjee, Kiron; Parkin, John; Bozovic, Tamara; Flower, Jonathan

Abstract

The e-scooter rental trial in the West of England started in October 2020 and is part of an England-wide programme of e-scooter trials in cities and towns overseen by the Department for Transport (DfT). There are two operating areas in the West of England. One covers a combined area within Bristol City and South Gloucestershire (referred to as Bristol). The other covers Bath city centre. The trial provides two rental options: Hop-on Hop-Off (HOHO) and Long-Term Rental (LTR). The Department for Transport has completed a national evaluation to understand the operation and impact of the e-scooter trials across all 32 trial locations. The evaluation has shown the West of England trial has had the most rides by a significant margin. The national evaluation provides useful insights to national trends with some comparisons provided between areas. Given the significance of the e-scooter operations in the West of England, and a desire to learn from the trial to inform longer term policy, the Combined Authority commissioned a local evaluation within Bristol and Bath. It adds significantly to insights over and above those emerging from the national evaluation. Trial operator data and other datasets have been analysed in-depth. Several primary data sets have also been collected.
In the West of England, a significant number of users have adopted e-scooters into their way of life. People are using them to get to work/college/university and they support leisure and shopping. A high proportion of users are between the ages of 18 and 35, and the majority of users are male. Take-up has been high due to their ease of use and time saving around Bristol and Bath. E-scooters are replacing trips from all types of transport. The trial has reduced travel related carbon emissions. Data on e-scooter safety is not robust enough to draw firm conclusions, but e-scooter riding may be riskier than cycling. E-scooter users thought that better infrastructure is needed. A lower proportion of e-scooter riders wear a cycle helmet than cycle riders. People dislike e-scooters obstructing the footway and some people fear e-scooters being ridden. These two issues particularly impact blind or partially sighted people. Those responsible for running the trial recognise the importance of well parked e-scooters. The trial has benefitted from strong collaboration between the e-scooter operator, local councils, police, fire service, and the Combined Authority.

• Report Type: Research Report
• Acceptance Date: May 18, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jun 30, 2023
• Publication Date: Jun 30, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jul 3, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 25, 2024
• Keywords: Shared; Rental; E-scooter; Micromobility; Evaluation
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10901687
• Publisher URL: https://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/transport/future-transport-zone/public-e-scooters-trial/