E-scooters return to Nottingham streets

E-scooters will be available for hire in Nottingham, UK again later this year, the city council has confirmed.

The authority had previously said the service would be up and running this summer, but demand from other local authorities procuring e-scooter services meant bidders had requested additional time to formulate responses to the tender.

The city’s e-scooter scheme was withdrawn in December 2023 when Superpedestrian (later acquired by Surf Beyond) shut down its UK operations.

“We expect e-scooters to be operational again in September/October 2024,” a council spokesperson told Cities Today.

“This very much depends upon the operator’s mobilisation activities as upon contract award they will need to secure a suitable premises, recruit local resources to manage the scheme, secure the fleet and ensure the app is ready for launch.

“Ahead of any trial restart the council will also need to seek approval from the Department for Transport in line with the requirements set out by the new Government.”

The spokesperson declined to comment on which companies were competing for the tender, but confirmed just one would be selected.

Parking

The council says it has already rolled out over 200 “infrastructure corrals” to help signpost and encourage the orderly parking of e-bikes and e-scooters.

In addition, the original 400 e-scooter parking spots from the previous scheme have all been audited and reviewed – with some set to be removed as they don’t meet new council guidelines.

“Through the procurement process, bidders were asked specifically to explain in their tender response what operational and technological approaches they would employ to manage pedestrian safety,” the council spokesperson added. “This included detailing practices around enforcement and education of riders and response times to addressing incorrectly parked e-scooters.”

While several English cities and towns operate shared e-scooter schemes under government mandated trials, the use of private e-scooters on public roads and pavements remains illegal.

Their use is widespread however, with patchy enforcement from police.

In an open letter to UK Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, shared transport charity CoMoUK has called on the government to legalise micromobility, saying a new legal status is the only way to resolve problems caused by “entirely unregulated privately-owned e-scooters” being ridden on public roads.

The letter also argues that the move would provide the “highly successful shared e-scooter trials” in England with a long-term future, help the UK meet its net zero and air quality targets, improve public health and unlock investment.

“By clearing up the ongoing uncertainty around their status on the UK’s roads, ministers can give this cheap, flexible and green mode of transport a long-term future,” said Richard Dilks, Chief Executive of CoMoUK.

“Legalisation would improve safety standards and clear away the negative perceptions of e-scooters that have arisen largely due to the total lack of regulation.”

Image: Superpedestrian