Nottingham in first UK trial of 'smartest E-scooter'

Nottingham is playing host to the first UK trial of an E-scooter claimed to be the world's smartest.

The number of trips made by E-scooters in the city has trebled since last year - but so have claims that they are often ridden dangerously on pavements, and are being dumped.

But new technology developed by Superpedestrian hopes to make E-scooter travel safer.

Their vehicles use artificial intelligence to stop scooters automatically when riders swerve through traffic, or mount the pavement.

"Cars are good for some journeys, but they're not so suitable for all journeys," said Haya Verwood Doudiri, the company Vice President.

"I see the future is really about shared mobility, it's about electric mobility, and it's about choosing your own mode of transport that is suitable for the journey."

Today, drop in sessions teaching members of the public how to ride the scooters were held in the city.

But not everyone is convinced.

"I saw E-scooter riders zooming across the lanes of traffic in Nottingham," said Sarah Gayton who is a coordinator for the Street Access Campaign.

"They're still being dumped, they're still being left around the city, they're still being tipped over and they're still blocking the roads causing trip hazards."

The company hopes that their new technology might persuade campaigners - who say E-scooters are ridden dangerously, and are often abandoned - that they can be an asset to local transport systems.

"They're very quick, and you can explore the city in a way you can't on foot," said one man in Nottingham today.

Meanwhile, another agreed that "it makes it so much easier to get from A to B sometimes, especially in the city centre."