Slough E-scooter Rental Trial Scheme Survey

Closed 31 Aug 2022

Opened 8 Apr 2022

Contact

Transport

01753 475111

TransportPlanning@slough.gov.uk

Overview

We consult residents, commuters, businesses and stakeholders to understand what people think about proposed developments, changes to our roads and pavements, or other traffic-related issues.

Updated 29 July 2022 – Consultation period extended to 31 August 2022

Updated 11 August 2022 – Extension of trial to May 2024 and information updated

Updated 29 November 2022 – Suspension of trial on 30 November 2022

Why your views matter

What is the Slough e-scooter rental trial scheme?

In 2020 the Government invited Local Authorities to run trial e-scooter rental schemes. These trial schemes, operated to a high standard, gather data to help the Government to understand the impacts and benefits of e-scooters, and to inform the future legal status of, and associated regulations for, e-scooters. They also gather valuable information on usage, travel patterns and ridership.

We introduced the Slough e-scooter rental trial scheme in October 2020, commissioning Neuron Mobility to operate 300 dockless e-scooters.

We suspended the trial on 30 November 2022 – it had been extended several times but as the contract with Neuron was coming to an end we were unable to extend the contract without opening it up to tender. We will be evaluating the scheme and providing a report to Slough Borough Council’s Cabinet in March 2023 with the possibility of restarting the rental trial scheme (subject to procurement and Cabinet approval) in June 2023.

What is an e-scooter?

An e-scooter (electric scooter) is described by the Government in this way:

“An e-scooter looks like a normal push scooter, but it is powered using an electric motor and battery. E-scooters generally run between 9-15mph, but some models can reach speeds of 40mph and higher.

"They are also known as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) or micro-mobility vehicles. Other types of micro-mobility vehicles include electric bikes, electric skateboards and segways.”

Privately owned e-scooters are currently illegal to use on public roads and footways, and may only be used on private land. One of the main reasons for this is to ensure that the trial can be more effectively controlled by local authorities.

For more information on the Slough e-scooter rental trial scheme, including the legal orders necessary to run the scheme, see our website.

For more information on the Government's work on e-scooters see:

What happens next?

The national e-scooter rental trial schemes began in July 2020 and were set to end in November 2022. However, the Government has since confirmed that the existing e-scooter rental trial schemes can now run until May 2024. We will be evaluating our scheme and providing a report to Slough Borough Council’s Cabinet in March 2023 with the possibility of restarting our rental trial scheme (subject to procurement and Cabinet approval) in June 2023. The restarted trial scheme would then run until May 2024, and, if e-scooters are made fully legal by the Government, we may then keep the e-scooter rental scheme permanently (subject to Cabinet approval).

This restarting of the trial would allow us to obtain further data to analyse the impact of the e-scooters.

At the end of the national trial schemes in May 2024, the Government will make a formal decision on whether to fully legalise the use of e-Scooters.

Why did we carry out a survey?

To help us understand the impacts and benefits of e-scooters we wanted to hear from you.

We wanted to get a better understanding of residents' views on rental e-scooters, and the benefits people experience when they use them. There was no formal requirement to consult on the trial scheme, but this information will help us make the right decisions about e-scooters. The results of this survey will be incorporated into the report to our Cabinet in March 2023 and will be used to inform how the service could be improved.

Further information

If you would like further information about the survey, or a copy of this survey information in another format or language, please:

  • email us at TransportPlanning@slough.gov.uk, or
  • write to us at Slough E-scooter Rental Trial Scheme Survey - Enquiry, Transport, Slough Borough Council, Observatory House, 25 Windsor Road, Slough SL1 2EL, or
  • call us on 01753 475111 (asking for a message to be passed to the Transport team)

How people responded

We asked people to, if possible, give their views using an Online Survey form.

If they were unable to use the online survey, they could instead give their views:

  • by email to TransportPlanning@slough.gov.uk, or
  • in writing to Slough E-scooter Rental Trial Scheme Survey - Response, Transport, Slough Borough Council, Observatory House, 25 Windsor Road, Slough SL1 2EL

We asked people to respond by 23:59 on Wednesday 31 August 2022.

What happens next

Thank you for giving us your views. They will be kept anonymous and used to help us to understand the impacts and benefits of e-scooters.

For more information on the Slough e-scooter rental trial scheme, including the legal orders necessary to run the scheme, see our website.

For more information on the Government's work on e-scooters see:

Audiences

  • Anyone from any background

Interests

  • Local Transport Plan