E-scooter support could see car journeys fall 20%, says Voi UK GM

Voi UK general manager Richard Corbett yesterday appeared before the Transport Select Committee to answer questions about how e-scooters will be trialled on UK streets from September.

Voi told MPs that one in five car journeys in the UK could be replaced by an e-scooter trip, if cities get behind this new form of micro-mobility transportation. E-scooters have the potential to provide a quick, affordable, flexible and environmentally-friendly solution to the transport problems that are endemic in UK cities.

Corbett said: “MPs today rightly focused on how e-scooters could safely be introduced to UK streets. We want to make it clear that safety is always our number one priority. We don’t agree with other operators that e-scooters should be aligned with e-bikes. This is an opportunity to raise the bar when it comes to road safety and go above and beyond the basic government requirements, which is why Voi will give all our UK riders comprehensive insurance. This is the biggest change to the way people travel in a hundred years and Voi is here to help make this a safe transition.”

“As normal life resumes across the UK, the last thing most people want to see is more gridlock and pollution from traffic. With people returning to workplaces and shops, the need for quick, convenient and COVID-safe transport is increasing. 60% of car journeys in the UK are between 1 to 3 miles, significantly adding to the congestion in our towns and cities. We estimate that 1 in 5 of these journeys could be replaced by low-carbon e-scooters with a minimum 24-month lifespan. We are confident that Voi can provide 100,000 e-scooter rides a day across the UK using vehicles designed in Sweden, made in China.”

“Voi is talking to local authorities around the UK and believes it can bring real benefits to communities up and down the country, including priority for NHS and key workers, low-cost fares and the ability to connect places that would otherwise need significant new infrastructure to be connected to existing public transport routes. We can have our scooters on the streets within two weeks of the green light from a local authority.”