The e-scooter trial on the Island is set to continue for another 2 years, it has been confirmed. Council leader Phil Jordan – cabinet member for Transport and Infrastructure, Highways PFI and Transport Strategy – made a delegated decision to extend the Island’s participation on Friday (19th April). New data reveals that since the introduction of the scheme, a total of 150,336 rides have been completed on the Isle of Wight, with a total of 18,625 unique users. Comparatively, the e-bike share scheme launched in October 2022 has been less popular with just 7,681 total rides to date. The e-scooter offering on the Island currently sees around 50 units dotted around, located in Newport, Ryde, Wootton, East Cowes and Cowes respectively. Previously, e-scooters were available in Sandown, Lake and Shanklin but it appears Beryl withdrew from The Bay prior to the month of March. The original deadline for the end of the trials was due to be at the end of November 2021, but trials have since been extended on no less than 3 occasions:
- First to March 2022 to allow time for gathering evidence following a slower-than-expected start to trials during the COVID-19 pandemic;
- Secondly to November 2022 after DfT issued updated guidance in February 2022 designed to enhance existing safety measures;
- Thirdly to 31st May 2024, which will allow DfT to reflect on the further analysis or evidence that may be needed and would be beneficial
Come the end of the trial in May 2026 the scheme will have been in place for nearly 5-and-a-half years, having originally launched in November 2020 as part of a Department for Transport (DfT) initiative. It is understood that the DfT is looking to continue to build evidence on the benefits, public perceptions and wider impact of e-scooters in the community, with all this evidence to be offered up when discussing key legislation about e-scooters beyond the trial. It’s understood that the current revenue generated by the scheme is not enough to sustain a commercially viable scheme, but that such a position is consistent in other areas trialling Beryl schemes.
So Jordan approves a loss-making scheme for a further 2 years. True to form.
It’s a Government scheme isn’t it ? The Gov must have enough data by now to formulate some rules for use.
Jordan must have been P issed,
The Interchange he authorised in Ryde is dangerous
Vehicles come off the Pier going against the traffic.
Vehicles turn right into George Street even though it states not to,
ant the new cycle path near the Hovercraft entrance is a DANGER waiting too happen
When vehicle turns left into the Hovercraft car park, cyclists or scooterists could be easily
knocked off their bikes / scooters.
Jordan is clueless.
To be fair, public transport is going to be loss-making almost always as well so just about the modus operandi of DfT.
When you aim for profit with your transport options, you get UK where we pay 10x more for a train or ferry than Germans.
And while immediate profit form those services looks fancy, it usually negatively correlates with social mobility anyway, and causes more hurdles for the economy in the long run.
I guess if we all value profitability of a mode of transport so much, we should all be happy with ferries increasing prices 😉
Quite a few European countries have subsidised and/or regulated transport systems. Malta and Luxembourg are free! I wonder where the UK went wrong….
Perhaps allowing in and paying a fortune for dingy people, along with countless other free loaders, paying in nothing or close to, and yet claiming everything from the state, which of course we all fund.
Would you like to comment on the £20 TRILLION untaxed wealth held offshore by the other freeloaders who have vested interests in governments and create the poverty we now all suffer from or do your critical thinking skills not extend that far?
Should of ended the trial. They have plenty of data now, and usage will just tail off, losing more money. And the weather will mean more than half the year they’re just sat there. No brainer.
Not really a trial then is it. Lets face it, it is not popular is it. Jerk Jordan strikes again. What a fool he is.
I wonder how many of the 18,000+ unique users continue to be kids with no driving licenses?
E-scooter riders are required to provide a valid UK Driving Licence to participate.
So you think kids don’t just use the details on their parents licences with or without their permission? Yeah, right.
So who has crossed his hand with a little cash insensitive
The WEF or their stooge Blair
Yet another excellent typo. The word is “incentive” but I kind of like the irony of your version given that our boozy leader is such a smug, egotistical and obviously “insensitive” git.
I smell brown envelopes
It’s been great in Sandown Lake and Shanklin no pillocks racing around with two people on them. I wonder why Beryl withdrew from these places ,♀️bloody good move tho.
Time for jerk Jordan to go, but watch all the idiots on the island vote him back in next year.
Really ?? never seen any used any more, none where they used to be 2 years ago no bikes scooters nothing most end up thrown across the pavements.Another load of ev bollocks…
Personally I would have them all crushed, they are nothing but dangerous.
No one rides them sensibly, also safety protection is not provided
I.e an Helmet
Give them all a watery grave in the medina.
Put them on the waste of space Floating Bridge and sink it.
Hallelujah
Are kids still allowed to use these two up ?
Good. When I had car troubles I bery nearly had to use one of these. They’re a handy back up for people. NEVER seen anyone abusing them. (In Cowes)
No, I haven’t either. Seen a lot of people using them to commute from ferry etc…even saw one old bloke going round Coppins Bridge like a pro!
More work for the A&E to waste our money on
Send all them scrap metal to the mainland with the rest of the recycling
Such a shame that there are no rag and bone men thesedays
they could go round the island and round these pieces of junk up
and have them scrapped for scrap metal.
“Any old iron”
Lol