UK city threatens to terminate shared e-scooter scheme

Northampton, UK could terminate its shared e-scooter trial scheme if a list of recommended improvements are not made.

The trial, which is run by Voi, has faced a series of complaints around safety and parking and was recently the subject of a council debate where Councillor Phil Larratt, Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways at West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) responded to issues raised by opposition politicians by suggesting the scheme could be terminated.

“We’ve made it very clear that unless Voi addresses these issues, we will take action and terminate the arrangement,” said Larratt.

“If you provide the evidence, I will have no hesitation in initiating that termination process.”

Background

E-scooters run by Voi were first introduced on a trial basis in Northampton in 2020.

WNC began a review into the system last year which attracted responses from 2,600 people.

In May 2024, a council scrutiny group tasked with assessing the effectiveness of the scheme made a recommendation, which was later accepted, for the trial to continue into 2026 on the condition that a list of improvements were made.

The improvements included: a review of the scooter’s speed controls; restricted zones to be inspected and extended; harsher enforcement on scooters parked in key locations such as disabled and emergency access points; new technology to eliminate multiple people from riding together on one scooter and from driving on the pavement; improvements to the visibility of e-scooters at night; registration numbers on vehicles to be more visible and improving complaint procedures.

At its most recent cabinet meeting, opposition politicians in the council said some of these issues – particularly multiple people using one e-scooter – had still not been rectified and called for more accountability.

“Work is already underway to carry out a review of all no-park and no-ride zones and technological improvements have been carried out to increase the quality of photos and real-time footage of parking,” a WNC spokesperson told Cities Today.

“WNC is working with Northamptonshire Police and Voi to tackle pavement and underage riding through a communications campaign which has led to an increase in reports, enabling Voi to take action.

“Some of these measures will take time to implement and we know there are still issues that need to be addressed.

“As a council we will continue to work with Voi and the police to monitor progress and ensure we’re taking complaints seriously. It is important that our councillors continue to raise these issues so that we can work positively to resolve them.”

Response

Responding to the claims, a Voi spokesperson told Cities Today it was engaging with the council.

“We worked closely with West Northamptonshire Council to draw up a roadmap to make improvements to the e-scooter trial in Northampton, addressing some councillors’ concerns about parking and anti-social riding including tandem riding.”

“The council’s scrutiny committee carried out a thorough investigation of the e-scooter trial, including a public survey. We were pleased the committee was satisfied with the agreed roadmap and the council extended the trial for a further two years.

“We, of course, listen carefully to all concerns about our service and work with local communities to ensure that our e-scooter schemes work for everyone – riders, other street users, local authorities and disabled people.

“The vast majority of our riders, who use our scooters for their commute to work or education, follow the rules. We take action against riders who break the rules, including issuing bans and fines. Since agreeing the roadmap with the council, we have issued over 300 fines and bans in Northampton.”

Image: Voi