Last Updated: November 26, 2024
Photo by Victoria Howkins on Unsplash
Two of Wales’s biggest cities could finally welcome e-scooters to their streets, despite lingering memories of Cardiff’s ill-fated bike-sharing scheme.
Both Cardiff and Swansea councils have thrown their hats into the ring for potential e-scooter trials, WalesOnline have revealed. While these zippy two-wheelers have become a familiar sight across English cities since 2020, Wales has remained notably absent from the e-mobility revolution.
Swedish operator Voi, which already runs successful schemes across 17 English cities, has been sweet-talking both councils. “We’ve had some really positive chats,” says James Bolton, Voi’s UK boss, “but nothing’s set in stone just yet.”
The news might raise eyebrows in Cardiff, where the Nextbike saga ended with a whimper just ten months ago after thieves and vandals left only a third of the bikes standing. But Bolton’s got an answer for the sceptics: “Our latest scooters are proper clever – we can track them down in a heartbeat if anyone tries any funny business.”
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh recently admitted what many have been thinking – that the UK desperately needs proper e-scooter rules rather than this endless trial-and-error approach. She reckons they could be “a really effective part of an integrated transport strategy.”
For Wales, it’s not quite as simple as just saying yes. Both Westminster and Cardiff Bay need to give the nod, though the Welsh Government seems up for it, saying they’d be “happy to engage” with councils keen to change the law.
Andrea Gordon from Guide Dogs Cymru has raised valid concerns, noting that nearly three-quarters of visually impaired people have had dodgy encounters with e-scooters. But Voi claims they’ve been working closely with sight loss charities and have seen accident rates plummet by 70%.
A Cardiff council spokesman said: “The council has expressed an interest to carry out an e-scooter trial to the UK Department for Transport, but that doesn’t mean that a trial will take place. It just gives the council the opportunity to explore this option, as we continue to research possible schemes to replace the Nextbike scheme.”
If it does go ahead, expect to pay between 16p and 24p per minute for the privilege of scooting around town. Voi’s already chalked up 40 million rides in England since 2020, with Bolton claiming over 30% of their riders would have otherwise jumped in their cars.
