Somerset West and Taunton Council has today announced that over 1,000 journeys were completed during the first full week of the Taunton e-scooter trial operated by Zipp Mobility.
In addition, statistics from the period 1 to 8 November reveal that 1,211 new users have signed up to use the e-scooters bringing the total number of registered users to 1,607.
The 12-month trial being run by Somerset West and Taunton Council with Zipp Mobility, an Irish e-scooter operator, provides a zero-carbon way to get around town and allow for social distancing.
The trial will remain operational throughout lockdown following confirmation received this week from the Department for Transport.
The Zipp Mobility e-scooters have anti-viral handlebar wraps that kill 99.98% of viruses and can help eliminate Covid-19 transmission risk. They are also are cleaned daily by the local team based at the new Zipp Mobility warehouse in Taunton.
As part of their commitment to support key workers during the coronavirus pandemic the council and Zipp Mobility have installed three new parking bays at Musgrove Park Hospital and amended the operating hours to 06:30 to 22:30 to help meet the needs of staff.
Cllr Peter Pilkington, executive member for climate, said:
“I am delighted that the Department for Transport has confirmed that trials can continue through this period of national restrictions.
E-scooters are the perfect way to travel for those who need to access work and essential services or supplies at this difficult time.
I am particularly pleased that we have been able to make arrangements for our key workers to travel safely and easily as they continue to provide frontline services for us all.
I am really encouraged by the success of this scheme so far and would like to thank everyone who has used a scooter to date and returned them neatly to a designated parking bay.”
From 1 to 8 November, 607 users completed 1,019 rides, the total miles travelled was 2,727, the average journey length was 2.68 miles, the average trip duration was 34 minutes, the time total spent on scooters was 577 hours and 44 minutes.
Zipp e-scooters can be hired from any of the parking bays across Taunton.
There will be a charge of £1 to unlock the e-scooter and 10p per minute thereafter using the Zipp Mobility app.
When finished, take it back to any of the parking bays set up at strategic locations around town.
Suggestions for parking bays can be made by emailing .
The trial in Taunton is geofenced which means the e-scooters will only work inside permitted areas.
The maximum speed limited for this trial has been limited to 13.5mph and there are slower zones within the trial area.
E-scooters are only permitted on roads, cycle lanes and cycle tracks only and users have been advised not to use them on pedestrian pathways.
Zipp are adding registration numbers to each e-scooter to assist with the reporting of misuse and they are also adding information cards to each e-scooter with instructions for use.
Zipp Mobility CEO, Charlie Gleeson, said:
“We are over the moon with the ridership levels we have seen in Taunton so far.
They prove to us how beneficial a shared e-scooter scheme is to the local community and we are excited and optimistic to see how this trial turns out over the next 12 months.
We are always looking to continuously improve our operations at Zipp so I am confident it will go from strength to strength.”
E-scooters are classed as a motor vehicle and can only be used by people over 16 with a provisional or full driving licence.
Anyone using an e-s scooter who is under this age or does not have a driving licence will be breaking the law and could be fined or receive points on their licence, this includes parents who register and give the e-scooter to a child to ride.
Richard McKiernan, traffic management officer at Avon and Somerset Police, said:
“Please remember that only e-scooters rented as part of the trial are legal to use on the road; the use of privately owned e-scooters in public places remains unlawful”.