Lime will continue to operate shared e-scooters in the city of Salford within Greater Manchester, England after Salford City Council confirms an extension of its e-scooter trial until May 2024.
The e-scooter trial – in partnership with the Department for Transport (DfT) and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) – has seen more than 430,000 rides, 270,000 of which have taken place in the past 12 months.
It follows the launch of one of the largest studies on e-scooters in the UK to date by the University of Salford’s Healthy Active Cities research team. From a 2,400 strong survey, 68% of respondents believe that there should be an e-scooter hire scheme across Greater Manchester, while 59% believe the scheme will make the area a more attractive place to live.
The report also highlights how residents are integrating e-scooters into their daily lives, with 67% reporting to have used e-scooters to replace journeys that would have otherwise been made from another mode of transport (excluding walking). Almost half (49%) report to have used e-scooters instead of a car.
“Over the past two years it’s been great to see Salford residents and visitors truly integrate e-scooters into their daily lives,” Lime’s Senior Public Affairs Manager for UK and Ireland, Hal Stevenson, told Zag Daily.
“The recent research from the University of Salford has helped provide us with an even better understanding of how and why local residents choose e-scooters, whether it be replacing their drive to the local shops or helping them get to work.
“With the trial extension, we look forward to continuing our work with Salford City Council and Transport for Greater Manchester to help residents replace even more car journeys, and access safe and sustainable transport options as an alternative.”
Nicola Kane, Head of Strategic Planning, Research and Innovation at Transport for Greater Manchester., commented: “The trial has provided an opportunity for Greater Manchester to be at the forefront of transport innovation, providing insights into how shared e-scooters can contribute to the Bee Network vision and help achieve our strategic goals set out in the 2040 Transport Strategy. This report provides us with a detailed evidence base to help evaluate the future role of shared e-scooters in Greater Manchester.”
