LEGAL electric scooters and e-bikes have arrived on the streets of Cadbury Heath, Longwell Green, Oldland Common and Warmley.
The distinctive light turquoise Dott vehicles have been widely used in Bristol and Bath since launching in 2020 and now the scheme has expanded into more of South Gloucestershire.
The bikes and scooters can be hired by the minute, by ride or by the month using an app.
West of England Metro Mayor Helen Godwin said: “E-bikes and e-scooters have quickly become a big part of our transport mix in Bristol and Bath, and parts of South Gloucestershire, helping to reduce congestion on our roads and improve air quality.”
She stressed that the expansion of the scheme would be alongside a fresh drive to ensure safe use of the vehicles.
Ms Godwin said: “As more parts of South Gloucestershire join this trial, we need to have learned the lessons from the initial e-scooter launch. Convenient travel for some people shouldn’t inconvenience others – so there will be a renewed focus on responsible parking. Working with the police and councils, we will also soon be starting of a joint e-scooter safety campaign to try to help everyone stay safe on our roads.”
Cllr Chris Willmore, South Gloucestershire Council’s cabinet member for planning, regeneration and infrastructure, said: “We are very pleased to see e-bikes and e-scooters expand to cover more areas in South Gloucestershire, offering communities another sustainable option for travel.
“As part of our climate and nature emergency aims, we are committed to reducing dependence on cars by encouraging the use of low-carbon, convenient ways to move around the area. Making small changes in the way we travel can help reduce congestion and improve air quality, bringing improvements for everyone.”
The scheme is still officially a trial, and hiring an e-scooter via the app, after uploading a driving licence, is the only way to legally ride an e-scooter on a public road – although privately-owned scooters being used illegally on roads and paths are a common sight across the country.
Cllr Willmore said part of the rationale behind the expansion was to convert e-scooter riding “from illegal to legal”.
She said: “People have voted with their feet and have been using illegal ones.
“We’ve been seeing people on scooters everywhere, and I would much rather they had legal, safe ones than illegal ones being driven dangerously by underage people.”
Dott head of public policy Iqbal Ahmed said the hire scooters and bikes were also safer because their batteries were charged by the company, rather than in people’s homes.
Overnight charging of private scooter and bike batteries has been linked with several fatal fires, including one in a Bristol tower block in 2022.
The total size of the West of England fleet of e-bikes and e-scooters is almost 4,000.
More details about how to hire the bikes can be found at the travelwest.info website.