Electric scooters to hit Black Country streets soon as deal is struck

Trials of e-scooters are to start soon in Walsall, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton following an initial launch in Birmingham and Coventry.

E-scooters at the Birmingham city centre launch

Voi has secured the contract in Europe for the West Midlands in a partnership with Transport for West Midlands which will cover 5.9 million people.

Voi is creating 120 jobs in the region as part of the trial, the third it has won since securing the exclusive rights to run trials in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and Northamptonshire.

The trial will create more than 120 new jobs, promises to cut pollution levels and reduce commute times by as much as 70 per cent.

Voi’s distinctive coral e-scooters will be on the streets of Coventry and Birmingham this month and will arrive in other locations soon after. Voi now operates across 10 UK authorities, having launched in the UK only in July.

As part of its service in the West Midlands, Voi will offer e-scooter rides at £1 to unlock, plus 20p per minute. It will integrate fully with the local transport system, working alongside Network West Midlands, NetNav and Swift Mobile

There will also be Voi subscriptions available for £10 a day/£40 a month alongside subsidised Voi-4-All Passes for low income groups at £10 per month.

Key workers will be supported with free rides and local businesses will be invited to use the e-scooters to offer, or extend, delivery services.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street was at the launch outside Birmingham City Council House

Voi will also launch #RideLikeVoila, its online traffic school for riders with incentives to encourage people to take a course before they ride.

Voi is also committed to upholding West Midland Combined Authority’s health and safety policy to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the region.

It is adding Shieldex Copper-Tape to the handlebars of its e-scooters, which kill 99.98 per cent of coronavirus on contact, and all e-scooters will be disinfected every 24 hours.

Fredrik Hjelm, co-founder and chief executive of Voi Technology, said: “We are seeing the biggest change in 100 years for the way people travel and Voi is here to help the West Midlands make the most of the opportunity.

“We can’t wait to get started.”

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: “The West Midlands is proud to be leading the way on future transport development, and it is great to be able to partner with Voi and reveal our plans for e-scooters across the region.”