Newcastle’s e-scooter trial deemed a success with reported £8.9m economic boost

Neuron Mobility and Newcastle City Council have announced that the City’s highly popular e-scooter trial will be extended until May 2024. This comes soon after the launch of an economic report which reveals e-scooter riders boost the local economy by £8.9m per year.

Under the new extension, Neuron will be transitioning to a new parking model. Riders ending their trip at Jesmond and the city centre will be required to park at one of over 100 convenient designated parking stations.

This new parking model has been developed in consultation with the Council and the partially-sighted community, including the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT), to ensure the e-scooter trial is integrated into the city in the best possible way.

Neuron will also make its e-scooters even more accessible with the official launch of Concession Passes for low-income riders and those who are enrolled in eligible government support programmes. The Concession Pass, which provides discounts of up to 50 per cent, is part of Neuron Access, the company’s global equity and accessibility programme.

Since the e-scooter trial first launched in February 2021, it has proved popular, with 97 per cent of users saying Neuron has created a positive impact on the city. A recent rider survey found that 40 per cent of trips replace a car journey, saving 95 tonnes of CO2 emissions to date.

It also found residents have incorporated e-scooters into their daily routines by using them to get to work and travel around the city. 40 per cent of trips are used for commuting, 28 per cent to run errands and 20 per cent are used to travel to appointments.

Neuron’s recent report, titled Shared Rides, Shared Wealth, also revealed that Neuron riders spend an average of £17.80 at local businesses per trip. This adds up to £11.9k per e-scooter and £8.9m in Newcastle annually.

The e-scooter trial is also boosting spending in Newcastle’s high streets, with 38 per cent of trips starting and ending within a core section of the central shopping district.

According to the report, seven in 10 e-scooter journeys in Newcastle result in a purchase with a local business, and close to 10 per cent of trips wouldn’t have happened at all if the e-scooters weren’t available, meaning local businesses would have missed out on valuable sales.

Cormac Quinn, UK general manager at Neuron Mobility, commented: “After a successful 22 months in Newcastle our e-scooters have become an important part of the city transport mix. We’re delighted to extend the rental e-scooter service to mid-2024 and we thank the Council for their continued trust and support.”

By Matthew Neville – Correspondent, Bdaily

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