Newcastle’s new e-scooters have been used a combined 1,000 times a day since their launch this week.
The first 250 of the orange Neuron scooters have landed on the city’s streets, as part of a 12-month trial scheme allowing people to rent them for journeys in a zone currently covering the city centre, Jesmond, and Gosforth.
City council bosses say that the “overwhelming majority” of people have used the vehicles, which have a top speed of 15mph, in a responsible way.
However they warned that anyone caught riding them unsafely, such as by having two people on a scooter or taking them on pavements illegally, could be banned.
The scooters are legal on any road, cycle lane, or bus lane where there is a speed limit of 30mph or less.
But Neuron and the council have clarified that they can also be used on any paths that are also designated as cycle tracks – including the main path across the Town Moor and on Neville Street opposite Central Station, for example.
Some areas, like the Quayside, have been designated as ‘no-ride zones’, where the scooter’s motor will automatically cut out.
The pedestrianised area around Grey’s Monument has been added to the list of no-ride zones since the scooters were launched on Tuesday, due to safety concerns.
Neuron officials told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that demand for the vehicles had been high, especially among students – so much so that people had even been following vans that were distributing the scooters around the city.
Neuron hopes to have a total of 1,050 scooters in Newcastle as the year-long trial progresses, and has also announced that it will be launching in Sunderland.
A spokesperson for Newcastle City Council said: “We’re pleased with how well the e-scooters have been received by people in the city this week.
“On average there have been around 1,000 journeys made per day and in the overwhelming majority of cases riders have used the e-scooters in a safe and responsible manner.
“All users agreed to abide by the riding rules – which are there to keep themselves and others safe – when they sign up on the Neuron append those who do not could be banned from using the e-scooters in future.
“As this is a trial, we are monitoring how the e-scooters are used, including how and where they are parked, and will continue to respond to any issues or concerns that arise.
“At this time we would remind people that the e-scooters are available for essential journeys while lockdown restrictions are in place.”
You must be 18 to ride the scooters and have at least a provisional driving licence.
