E-scooter trial paused as operator pulls out

A trial of e-scooters in Worcestershire is to be put on hold after the company behind it pulled out.

Bird Rides UK confirmed that they are ending their contract with Redditch Borough Council to operate the town’s e-scooter trial.

It means the current scooter service in Redditch will end tomorrow.

A spokesperson for Bird said: “Bird is proud of the success of our trial in Redditch and of the more than 120,000 rides on our scooters. These rides have saved 4.2 metric tons of CO2 emissions and have become an integral part of people’s daily commute. The trial has further shown the high safety level of Bird scooters with an incident rate of 0.00007% rides in Redditch in 2022.”

Authorities in Redditch will now consider the future of the e-scooter trial, which currently has an end date of March 2024.

Cllr Matt Dormer, leader of Redditch Borough Council said: “Many people in Redditch have enjoyed the transport and environmental benefits of Bird’s service to get to work and around the town.

“There are also lessons to be learned and the experiences we’ve had so far will inform the ongoing debate as we continue to carefully consider all the issues, especially if the government decides to extend the trial beyond March.”