Redditch launches new e-scooters

Tue 10 Nov 2020

Exciting news for local Redditch residents as the Borough council teams up with Bird the micro-mobility operator to bring environmentally friendly scooters to the town. These scooters are to be available for a minimum of 12 months in Redditch and are already proving popular.

Although these scooters are to be used for both fun and commute purposes, it’s also extremely important that they are used sensibly and safely. Bird have hosted safety training sessions for the scooters in their initial week of implementation at the top of the Market Place, which were attended by many. However, if you missed this, all you need to do is download the handy app and go through the license verification process and you’re away.

As well as needing the Bird app to use the e-scooters, you are also required to wear a helmet at all times for safety reasons, and be over the age of 18. To hire a scooter, there is an initial £1 fee, and then you are required to pay 15p per minute. The low cost of these scooters mean that you can travel a long distance without having to pay a lot of money. The overall aim of the scooter’s pricing was to be competitive with local public transport, and with social distancing guidelines in place, these are a great alternative if you’re concerned about the safety of trains and busses.

With at top speed of 15 miles per hour, the scooters are also extremely safe. Users of the scooter can drive on the roads of Redditch, however specific areas such as the ring road, and the Kingfisher Shopping Centre have been geofenced, so they will not work in these areas for safety reasons.

The senior manager at Bird, Harry Porter says: “Our aim is to keep it a similar cost to public transport because we want to encourage people to take mass transit or an e-scooter rather than jumping in their car for short distances. Redditch is really well suited for us”