Bird’s famous black-and-white electric scooters have been chosen by the hometown of Rachel Maclean MP, the minister leading the UK’s scooter trials.
The Silicon Valley company is considered the founding father of the industry, quickly racking up a USD $2bn valuation since it began dropping e-scooters onto American streets in 2017.
Yet, Bird had remained very quiet about UK trials, despite holding the distinction of being the only operator to legally run an e-scooter programme in the country, at London’s Olympic Park, until the DfT trials kicked off in July.
The DfT approved the Redditch programme on Monday. More details are expected to follow soon.
Our take
Bird brings a deep well of expertise and experience that could be a game-changer for the British market. What’s more, the company has something of a thick skin. While its brazen methods have made it a target in the past for scooter naysayers, a bullish attitude is exactly what will be needed to survive the UK’s famous factionalism.
That Bird will be operating on the home turf of transport minister Rachel Maclean MP will not go unnoticed by its competitors. Redditch may be small but, when it comes to e-scooters, it’s a place that pays to be noticed. RR
