The UK cities of Brighton & Hove and Plymouth are launching their first regulated public e-scooter hire schemes as operator Beryl accelerates its expansion across England.
Brighton has become the latest city to introduce shared e-scooters, while Plymouth is due to follow tomorrow under the UK Government’s National E-Scooter Trial. The launches are Beryl’s third and fourth new e-scooter schemes in recent months, following rollouts in Leeds and Cornwall.
The expansion comes as local authorities continue to add shared e-scooters to existing micromobility networks in an effort to encourage more journeys away from private cars. Both Brighton and Plymouth already operate Beryl bike hire schemes, with the new scooters extending those networks.
Patrick Donnelly, Director of Business Development and Policy at Beryl, told Zag Daily the company expects “around a quarter of a million e-scooter journeys in the scheme’s first year” in Brighton, with around a third replacing trips by car, van or taxi.
Donnelly said e-scooters would complement existing bike schemes by providing another option for shorter journeys and first and last-mile public transport connections.
“In areas where we operate both e-bikes and e-scooters, we’ve found e-scooters often act as an ‘entry vehicle’, introducing people to micromobility for the first time, who then go on to try e-bikes too,” he said.
Brighton’s initial rollout includes 100 e-scooters across 20 hubs along the seafront, in the city centre and at Brighton & Hove railway stations. The fleet is expected to grow to 300 vehicles across 34 hubs later this summer, with additional locations planned following public consultation.
Plymouth’s scheme will be integrated into the city’s existing Beryl bike network which launched in 2023 and has recorded more than 298,000 journeys covering over 600,000 kilometres from more than 34,000 users. The e-scooters will use the existing dock-to-dock network, allowing the city to expand the service without installing new parking infrastructure.
Brighton and Plymouth join more than 50 towns and cities participating in the government’s regulated e-scooter trials. The scooters are fitted with GPS technology to enforce no-go and reduced-speed zones, while private e-scooters remain illegal to use on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements.
