Singaporean e-scooter company Neuron Mobility and Newcastle City Council have announced that the city’s highly popular e-scooter trial, which was first launched in February 2021, will be extended until May 2024.
The announcement comes soon after the launch of an economic report that reveals e-scooter riders boost the local economy by £8.9 million per year, the company said.
Under the new extension, Neuron will be transitioning to a new parking model, the company said. Riders ending their trip at Jesmond and the city centre will be required to park at one of over 100 designated parking stations. This new parking model has been developed in consultation with the Council and the partially-sighted community, including the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT), to ensure the e-scooter trial is integrated into the city in the best possible way, the company said. Riders can familiarise themselves with the local riding rules through Neuron’s online ScootSafe Academy by taking part in incentivised quizzes, videos, and games.
Neuron will also launch concession passes for low-income riders and those who are enrolled in eligible government support programmes, the company said. The concession pass, which provides discounts of up to 50%, is part of Neuron Access, the company’s global equity and accessibility programme.
Referring to a recent rider survey, the company said that 40% of trips replace a car journey. It also found residents have incorporated e-scooters into their daily routines by using them to get to work and travel around the city.
“After a successful 22 months in Newcastle our e-scooters have become an important part of the city transport mix,” said Cormac Quinn, UK General Manager at Neuron Mobility. “We’re delighted to extend the rental e-scooter service to mid-2024.”
According to the company, Newcastle riders have completed over 900,000 miles in trips so far, replacing thousands of car journeys and saving 95 tonnes of CO2. Research shows seven out of 10 trips result in purchase at a local business which is helping to boost the local economy, it said.
“It’s great to see that many people are benefiting from the opportunity to use the e-scooters as a convenient way to get around – and importantly as an alternative to making a journey by car,” said Cllr Jane Byrne, Cabinet Member for Connected Clean City at Newcastle City Council.