Neuron Mobility’s three e-scooter trials have officially been extended as the company marks one year of operation in England.
Founded in Singapore, Neuron quickly branched out to Australia and New Zealand before reaching the UK in 2021.
The company now operates e-scooter schemes in Slough, Newcastle and Sunderland, and all three local authorities have confirmed the trials will be extended until November 2022.
Councillor Ged Bell, portfolio holder for transport at Newcastle Council said: “It is great that so many people have taken the opportunity to use Neuron’s e-scooters over the past year, and we are delighted that they will continue to provide residents with a safe and sustainable form of transport following the extension of the trial.
“Taking part in an e-scooter trial was one of the actions in the city’s adopted Net Zero Action Plan and we are keen to understand further the role schemes like this may play in the future transport network of the city.
“We’ve seen many people benefiting from safe and responsible use of the e-scooters, with around half a million miles travelled by e-scooter in the city, and we are pleased that Neuron take action where there are instances of them being used in an anti-social and inappropriate manner.”
“We will continue to monitor the impact of the trial, which is providing valuable information that could help inform future schemes of this nature.”
Having launched 12 months ago, Neuron scooters have been used for a million miles of travel in the UK, as 35% of trips directly replaced a car journey, the firm has said.
Half of the journeys were also combined with other form of transport, Neuron said, while 55% of riders also made a purchase in a local business as part of their journey, showing the impact micromobility can have on the local economy.
George Symes, UK Regional Manager at Neuron Mobility, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating a million miles in England and we would like to thank all of our riders, partners and particularly the councils that have put great trust in us. We have learned a great deal during our first year operating in the UK. We have been really encouraged with the level of uptake and support for our e-scooters from the community.
“This has been underlined by the commitment of Newcastle, Sunderland and Slough to extend the scheme until November and we are looking forward to continuing to provide a safe and sustainable way for residents to get around over the course of the year.”
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Neuron also says it prioritises safety and rider education, as the company wants more people to adopt e-scooter use.
The Neuron N3 scooter has been designed with one-of-a-kind safety features, including a helmet that is attached to the machine and a 999 emergency button.