An e-scooters scheme will soon be rolled out to West Bromwich after its initial launch in Birmingham and Coventry earlier this month.

Solihull, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Warwickshire will also shortly see the dockless electric scooters made available in a 12-month trial which will deploy up to 10,000 of them across the region.

In the UK, sixty per cent of car journeys are under three miles. Encouraging people to take these short trips by e-scooter helps reduce pollution, improve air quality and reduce congestion on the roads. It is also a socially-distanced alternative to public transport.

WMCA has appointed technology company Voi to run the scheme. The Swedish firm launched Europe’s first dockless e-scooter service in 2018 and now operates in 45 cities across 11 countries.

In the West Midlands, anyone wanting to use one of the e-scooters will need a driving licence to unlock it. There will be a £1 fee to unlock a machine, and then a 20p per minute charge to ride it. Regular users can have unlimited rides for £40 per month, and there will be reduced rates for NHS workers, students and those on low incomes.

Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, said: “It is a great coup for the West Midlands to be at the forefront of the Government’s e-scooter trial. E-scooters unquestionably offer a healthier, more environmentally friendly, alternative to the car for shorter journeys around our towns and cities, which will in turn help to ease traffic congestion and tackle air pollution.”

Think Sandwell is very much behind the scheme and the benefits it will bring for our environment. If you’re looking for ways to make your business more environmentally-friendly, visit our ‘Energy saving for businesses‘ page.