A fleet of 100 electric scooters will hit York within weeks. Here’s how to hire one
A fleet of 100 electric scooters will be installed at the University of York within weeks.
E-scooter hire company Tier – which runs similar schemes in Paris, Berlin and York’s twin city Münster – has been chosen as the operator of the year-long trial.
The scooters all come with a helmet and have a large front wheel and wide foot plate to make them easier to ride. They will cost £1 to unlock and 15p per minute to ride.
Riders will need at least a provisional driving licence to hire a scooter. The insurance will be covered by the company so customers will not need to arrange or pay for it.
A spokesperson for Tier said the trial will start at the university but will look to expand to provide scooters between Rawcliffe Bar Park&Ride to the hospital and York St John University.
Hubs could also open in the city centre – with the scheme possibly expanded during the trial.
Future of urban transport
Tier’s general manager Fred Jones said: “York is a very special place, steeped in 2,000 years of history, and we are very proud to be supporting the city as it looks to the future of urban transport.
“We believe that the e-scooter trials will bring major benefits to York residents, from cleaner air to reduced congestion, and crucially they can also help to get people moving again safely post-Covid.”
The trial was given the green light by City of York Council yesterday (Tuesday).
Cllr Andy D’Agorne said: “Together we will ensure there are clear and effective channels of communication which are critically important to get early warning of any issues that need to be addressed, to assess the impact and to learn all the lessons from the trial.”
Rachael Maskell, York Central MP, welcomed the news: “I have long advocated for York to introduce e-scooters, as part of its active travel options and to provide relief to the congestion challenges of the city.
“Widely used across Europe, e-scooters are a cheap, easy and efficient way to travel, while cutting air pollution.
“The city lends itself to e-scooters, but must have good infrastructure in place to ensure that this enhances people’s experience of the city, whether travelling to work or for leisure.”
And Sight Loss Councils’ engagement manager Iain Mitchell said: ‘We are delighted that Tier has approached the Sight Loss Councils to gain a greater understanding of the safety concerns blind and partially sighted people have around e-scooters – namely that they can be difficult to hear and riders of the scooters may not recognise a person has a visual impairment.
“We welcome York choosing an e-scooter operator that is putting blind and partially sighted people’s safety at the forefront of its decision-making.”