Neuron interviews with riders in Newcastle, Sunderland and Slough where it operates show that they are keen to ditch their cars in favour of e-scooters.
Since launching in 2021, Neuron has seen riders rack up more than one million miles, with its latest data showing that over 35% of all trips in the UK replaced car journeys.
Slough resident Ian Whitlock believes that the shift from e-scooters to cars is clear. “Before the e-scooter scheme, I’d drive to work or use the bus, but finding a parking space is never straightforward and the buses don’t always run at convenient times. Factoring this in, I’ve found the e-scooters save me time, roughly halving my journey.”
Sunderland resident Grant Bilton has seen a change in the behaviour of his friends. “Since the e-scooters have been introduced, I’ve seen friends of mine use their cars less. I’m personally very environmentally conscious – I’ve recently purchased an electric car but I’ll keep using e-scooters for short convenient trips.”
Neuron believes part of the reason for this strong uptake is because of its focus on safety. The scooters now have an app-controlled helmet lock that secures a safety helmet to the e-scooter between trips, a 999-emergency button, and a ‘topple detection’ feature which alerts an operations team if the e-scooter is left on its side.
Oscar, a former student from Newcastle, said: “The helmets are really useful because I don’t always carry one, so it’s convenient to have one available for every ride. And wearing a helmet makes me feel much safer than I otherwise would.”
George Symes, Head of Public Policy at Neuron Mobility, said that the uptake in e-scooters across the country is enabling more people to think about sustainable modes of transport, and helping reduce CO2 emissions.
“Overwhelmingly we’ve received positive feedback and all the data from rider surveys points toward the positive impact we’re having through replacing car journeys, keeping down congestion and preventing CO2 emissions. We want to thank the councils we work with and our riders for their ongoing support and commitment to making e-scooters a safe and successful addition to the areas we operate in.”
