More Than 700 Scooter Rides In First Week Of Isle Of Wight Trial

More than 700 journeys have been made in the first week of the Isle of Wight's e-Scooter trial.

The fleet of 25 e-Scooters, provided by company Beryl, has travelled over 4,000km.

Another 25 e-Scooters are expected to be rolled out by next week, while plans are being made for a further 100.

The scheme will also be extended into Cowes and Ryde in the coming weeks. 

As Isle of Wight Radio previously reported, the trial is expected to last for a year. The e-Scooters are available to hire through the free Beryl app and can be picked up and dropped off in marked ‘Beryl Bays’ across Newport.

There are 22 bays positioned in the town, including at Town Lane, Carisbrooke Road and St Mary’s Hospital.

Beryl says, in 92% of cases, e-Scooters have been returned to their specified bays. 

Each bay has been selected and approved in conjunction with the Isle of Wight Council, Island Roads and Hampshire Constabulary. 

Philip Ellis, Beryl CEO, said:

“It has been amazing to see how Islanders have adopted the e-Scooter share scheme in such a short space of time by using it to make journeys in and around Newport. The e-Scooters have made travelling around both easier and healthier for local people, and the local environment will benefit from reduced pollution and better air quality.

“Now, more than ever, shared e-Scooters have become essential transportation options for people to travel safely during the pandemic. Since e-Scooters are still relatively new to the region, there are lessons to be learned. Beryl is working closely with the Isle of Wight Council, Solent Transport, Island Roads and Hampshire Police to promote safe use and that maximise the benefits of e-Scooters.”

Data from the first week of the scheme’s operation reveal that each e-Scooter is used up to seven times per day, according to the firm.

From launch, NHS staff have been able to use the service free of charge and have collectively ridden 31km around St Mary’s hospital already.

Beryl e-Scooters are capped at a top speed of 12.5mph and in adherence with the law are only allowed on the road, not on pavements.

They are also not allowed on the Dual Carriageway, as one Isle of Wight driver found out last week,

All riders are required to provide a UK-valid provisional or full Driving Licence to use the e-Scooters.

Anyone caught fraudulently riding with another person’s licence will be banned indefinitely and could face police action. 

Beryl e-Scooters are available to hire through two payment choices:

• Pay-As-You-Ride (£1.50 unlock fee + 10p per minute)
• Minute Bundles (£1.50 unlock fee and bundles priced at 5 p per minute; 100 minutes for £5, 200 minutes for £10, 300 minutes for £15). Users that park a hired e-Scooter outside of a Beryl Bay will be charged a £10 convenience fee, while users that lock a Beryl e-Scooter outside of the Isle of Wight’s operating zone will be charged £25. This fee covers operational costs associated with returning vehicles back to a bay for another use to ride.

For more information on Beryl’s innovative e-scooter and bike share scheme, please visit beryl.cc.