Taunton’s e-scooter trial will be going live on Tuesday 27 October providing a zero carbon green alternative to get around town and allow for social distancing.
Somerset West and Taunton Council (SWT) was given approval from the Department for Transport (DfT) to operate an e-scooter trial in line with its commitment to working towards achieving carbon neutrality and climate resilience by 2030.
The Council has appointed Zipp Mobility to run the 12-month trial which has created four full-time jobs including a local operations manager based at the new Zipp warehouse in Taunton.
The trial will start gradually with 20 e-scooters and can scale up to 70 based on demand. e-scooters will operate between 5am and 11pm, seven days a week, and can only be used by people over 16 with a provisional or full driving licence.
It will cost £1 to unlock the e-scooter and 10p per minute thereafter using the Zipp Mobility App – https://apps.apple.com/ie/developer/zipp-mobility-limited/id1526255915
The trial in Taunton will be geofenced which means the e-scooters will only work inside permitted areas. The maximum legal speed is limited to 15.5mph, but there will be slower zones within the trial area.
There will be virtual parking bays at strategic locations around Taunton although the Council welcomes suggestions from members of the public on where they would like to see virtual parking bays and from businesses or landowners who would welcome a virtual bay on their land. To make a comment or suggestion contact
Cllr Peter Pilkington, Executive Member for Climate Change, said: “We want to be the best run trial in the South West, and have noted the lessons from those schemes that have already gone live.
“Our emphasis will be on safety both for e-scooter users and the general public. We really hope that people will see the advantage of getting around town in a cleaner, greener way while being aware of and considerate to other road users and pedestrians. I believe this climate conscious, community spirited attitude will be the key to our success.”
The Zipp Mobility e-scooter has been carefully designed with safety in mind and is also equipped with anti-viral handlebar wraps that kill 99.98% of viruses and can help eliminate Covid-19 transmission risk.
Zipp Mobility CEO, Charlie Gleeson said “The feedback we received at the training events last week was overwhelmingly positive which makes us really excited to showcase our service to the rest of the Taunton community.”
Only e-scooters involved in the trials can be used in public areas – it remains illegal to use privately owned e-scooters in a public space. An e-scooter is classed as a ‘vehicle’ and any misuse can lead to penalty points being endorsed on your driving licence
SWT and Zipp Mobility are working with the Avon and Somerset Police (ASP) to help educate people about the laws and offer training on how to use e-scooters safely.
Several successful training sessions have already been held with more scheduled for this Sunday 25 October at Deane House car park, Belvedere Road.
There are several 30 minute slots available from 10am to 2pm. Further information and a booking form can be found here https://zippmobility.simplybook.it/v2/