E-scooters return to streets of Birmingham as Beryl replaces Voi

E-scooters are returning to the streets of Birmingham today as Beryl replaces Voi as the West Midlands' scooter operator.

The British scooter and cycle hire firm is bringing a new scooter to the city's streets on Wednesday 2 August following a five-month break after Voi's contract came to an end.

The operator was appointed to deliver the region’s new e-scooter hire scheme following an open tender process.

The scooters will cost:

Beryl CEO and co-founder, Phil Ellis, said: "We're really excited to be working with another of the UK's major city regions and I'm confident that our experience and innovation can help our e-scooters become a crucial cog in the region's integrated urban transport network."

The first phase of the scheme will see 200 e-scooters made available to hire in the city centre and surrounding neighbourhoods, with a further 800 to be rolled out by the end of September.

Those wishing to ride an e-scooter will need to register with the Beryl smartphone app - which will require users to be over the age of 18 and have a provisional or full driving license.

Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair, Andy Street, said: "Over the last three years, e-scooters became a fixture of Birmingham's transport network - often proving to be a popular alternative to cars for shorter journeys and helping to reduce road traffic congestion.

"I would like to thank regular e-scooter users for their patience during the transition to that new operator - the UK based firm Beryl.

"Central to Beryl's approach is a docked or parked system which will help reduce clutter on the roadside - ensuring tidier streets and a better experience for pedestrians.

"Another key element - crucial given previous incidents and lessons to be learnt - is putting in place more safety checks and enhanced verification of users in order to deter underage riders and other instances of misuse.

"E-scooters must be operated responsibly and - in partnership with Beryl - we will continuously monitor these new measures to ensure local people can be reassured about what we're offering."

Transport for West Midlands had been under pressure to confirm safety measures ahead of the new brand of Beryl e-scooters.

Councillor Liz Clements (Lab, Bournville & Cotteridge), Birmingham City Council cabinet member for transport added: "E-scooters provide another sustainable form of transport and I'm pleased to see the extra safety measures with this trial.

"Being able to use them alongside cycle hire, with many of the parking bays located alongside cycle docking stations, means people can hop from one to other and venture even further afield on sustainable, active transport."

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