The definitive guide to the UK’s e-scooter trials

By Oliver O'Brien

by Oliver O'Brien
6 May 2022

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The UK trials of shared e-scooters, enabled by the Department for Transport as a possible precursor to permanently regulating both private and shared versions, started in July 2020. Since then, over 50 fleets have launched, and some have closed. As the trial operators start to look forward to permanent operation (or winding down), Zag lists every opening and closure in the UK.

All the trial fleets are in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland did not host any trials, in part due to slight legislative differences between the home nations. Most of the trials below are open to members of the public aged over 16 (some fleets have a higher age-limit) with at least a provisional driving licence required.

Currently operating shared e-scooters

Map #	City/Town	Operator	Launched
1	Middlesbrough	Ginger	13 July 2020
2	Milton Keynes	TIER	22 August 2020
3	Hartlepool	Ginger	24 August 2020
5	Milton Keynes	Lime	26 August 2020
6	Northampton	Voi	3 September 2020
8	Birmingham	Voi	10 September 2020
10	Milton Keynes	Ginger	16 September 2020
12	Norwich	Beryl	21 September 2020
13	Cheltenham	Zwings	30 September 2020
14	Redditch	Bird	1 October 2020
15	Liverpool	Voi	6 October 2020
16	Gloucester	Zwings	8 October 2020
17	Cambridge	Voi	15 October 2020
19	York	TIER	20 October 2020
20	Yeovil	Zwings	22 October 2020
21	Salford	Lime	26 October 2020
22	Nottingham	Superpedestrian	27 October 2020
23	Bath	Voi	29 October 2020
24	Bristol	Voi	29 October 2020
25	Taunton	Zipp	30 October 2020
26	Aylesbury	Zipp	16 November 2020
27	High Wycombe	Zipp	18 November 2020
29	Cowes, Newport, Ryde (Isle of Wight)	Beryl	26 November 2020
30	Basildon	TIER	7 December 2020
31	West Bromwich (Sandwell)	Voi	8 December 2020
32	Kettering	Voi	10 December 2020
33	University of Warwick (Coventry)	Voi	17 December 2020
34	Chester	Ginger	21 December 2020
35	Scunthorpe	Ginger	23 December 2020
37	Bournemouth and Poole	Beryl	25 January 2021
38	Chelmsford	TIER	1 February 2021
39	Colchester	TIER	16 February 2021
40	Newcastle	Neuron	16 February 2021
41	Oxford	Voi	18 February 2021
42	Corby	Voi	26 February 2021
43	Rushden & Higham Ferrers	Voi	2 March 2021
44	Wellingborough	Voi	2 March 2021
46	Portsmouth	Voi	16 March 2021
47	Southampton	Voi	18 March 2021
50	Whitehaven	Ginger	29 March 2021
53	Great Yarmouth	Ginger	30 March 2021
55	Sunderland	Neuron (changing to Zwings)	31 March 2021
58	Princes Risborough	Zipp	17 May 2021
59	Minehead	Zipp	5 June 2021
60	London	Dott	7 June 2021
61	London	TIER	7 June 2021
62	London	Lime	7 June 2021

Closing

City/Town	Operator	Launched	Closing
Slough	Neuron	16 October 2020	30 November 2022
Canterbury	Bird	29 March 2021*	30 November 2022

* Public launch date – was available to university students/staff from late October 2020.

Already closed

City/Town	Operator	Launched	Closed
London (Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park)*	Bird	5 November 2018	31 March 2020***
Redcar	Ginger	24 August 2020	23 November 2020
Coventry (City Centre)**	Voi	10 September 2020	15 September 2020
Stafford	Ginger	15 September 2020	15 September 2021
Newcastle-under-Lyme	Zwings	16 September 2020	15 September 2021
Clacton	Spin	2 March 2021	24 October 2021
Chard	Zwings	25 March 2021	15 October 2021
Crewkerne	Zwings	25 March 2021	15 October 2021
Rochdale	Lime	1 April 2021	31 March 2022
Brentwood (Long-term rental)	Spin	29 March 2021	30 May 2022***
Braintree (Long-term rental)	Spin	30 March 2021	30 May 2022***
Barnstaple (Long-term rental)	Voi	12 May 2021	30 September 2022***

* Technically not part of the main Department for Transport sponsored trials, as it operated on private land and opened before the DfT trials were specified and launched. The fleet was open to the public. ** Officially, the fleet was suspended and then relaunched in a different area – on the nearby University of Warwick campus. *** Approximate date.