Rental e-scooters could save Newcastle commuters thousands of pounds per year

New data has highlighted the potential savings to the daily commute that can be made by ditching the car for an e-scooter.

According to figures from a research and data-driven personal finance site Nimble Fins, motorists pay an average of £9.74 a day to own and run a private car. However, according to Neuron Mobility, switching to a rental e-scooter for the daily commute costs as little as £1.20 per day if the rider takes advantage of Neuron’s monthly subscription pass.

This means switching to an e-scooter could save cost-conscious commuters in Newcastle over £256 a month or a “whopping” £3,074 per year.

According to Neuron’s annual rider survey, in 2022 more and more Newcastle residents found themselves incorporating e-scooters into their daily routines, using them to get to work and travel around the city, with 40 per cent of trips replacing a car journey, up from 30 per cent the previous year.

Total trip numbers were also up by 64 per cent, demonstrating that locals have embraced e-scooters as an “essential” way to get around the city.

There are said to be other reasons why residents are making the switch to e-scooters. As well as saving money on the daily commute, e-scooter riders can save time, shaving as much as eight minutes off a typical commute during rush hour from Gosforth to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, while also avoiding the daily “hassle” of finding a parking spot.

Alongside improving workers’ commutes and saving money, e-scooters are helping to reduce congestion and emissions which support Newcastle’s clean-air initiatives and contribute to the city’s net zero emissions target.

A recent report titled Shared Rides, Shared Wealth, revealed that e-scooters are supporting the High Street and significantly boosting the local economy. Data showed that seven in 10 e-scooter journeys result in a purchase at a local business which is bringing in £8.9m a year to Newcastle’s economy.

Cormac Quinn, UK general manager at Neuron Mobility, commented: “Our research shows a clear upward trend of people using e-scooters to replace car journeys, 40 per cent in 2022 versus 30 per cent in 2021, and this will certainly have a positive impact on their wallets as well as the city’s air quality.

“E-scooters are an inexpensive and convenient alternative to cars, particularly for short trips into and out of the city centre. We’re delighted they continue to be embraced by people in Newcastle, it’s a great city and we really enjoy working with the council to run the e-scooter programme.”

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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