The e-scooter trial in Slough, just outside London, is set to end on November 30th and may start back up again in June 2023 subject to procurement and Cabinet approval.
Neuron Mobility operate the e-scooters and the trial has been extended several times but as the contract with Neuron was coming to an end, the council was unable to extend the contract without opening it up to tender.
In the meantime, the transport team will evaluate the scheme and provide a report to the Cabinet in February 2023.
Neuron said in a statement: “This decision is outside of our control as we were expecting Slough Borough Council to complete a new procurement process which would have allowed us to extend our service, however sadly they were unable to do this.
“We are disappointed to leave Slough but have not ruled out returning if and when they run a new procurement process in 2023.”
Councillor Mohammed Nazir, Cabinet Member for Transport and the Local Environment, said: “This is a chance to pause and evaluate the trial, whilst we undertake more work and preparation for an expected DfT [Department for Transport] decision on permanent schemes once the national trials have completed.”
Neuron’s trial in Slough to date
Neuron launched in Slough in October 2020 and currently operates 300 e-scooters.
Internal surveys reveal that the majority of riders in Slough use e-scooters to commute to work (49%), for running errands (32%) and getting to and from appointments (21%).
“Over the last two years in Slough we have grown our ridership, expanded the riding area and become an important part of the town’s transport mix,” said Neuron. “Around 40% of all Neuron’s trips have replaced a car journey and riders have completed 630,000 miles and saved over 65 tonnes of CO2.”
Research also shows Neuron’s e-scooters have had a positive impact on the local economy.
About two in three e-scooter journeys (62%) result in a purchase at a local business with an average spend of £16.20 per trip and £15,200 per e-scooter annually.
“We would like to thank Slough Borough Council and our thousands of loyal riders for their continued trust and support over the course of the trial,” said Neuron.
