E‑scooters available to hire in new trial

People in several Cornish towns can now hire e‑scooters as part of a trial that could change how they get around.

About 50 e‑scooters per town have been made available in Penzance, Falmouth and Newquay, plus 25 in Truro, using the same bays as Beryl e‑bike hire.

An experimental traffic regulation order has been brought in by Cornwall Council to allow the scooters to be used in areas where cycles are allowed, including roads, cycle lanes and shared paths, but not pavements.

The standard rate for rides will be £1 to unlock and 22p per minute compared with £1 to unlock and 19p a minute for a Beryl bike, although the unlocking fee is dropped for people who buy minute bundles in advance.

The trial is part of a wider programme approved by the Department for Transport in cities including Bath and Bristol to see whether the scooters could provide a useful option for short local journeys, including trips connecting to buses and other transport.

Riders must sign up using a driving licence and facial recognition through the Beryl app, and complete a short guide before setting off.

Speeds are capped at 12.5mph, with 7.5mph limits in pedestrian areas. The council said users must not ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs, carry passengers or wear headphones.

It is still illegal to ride a privately owned e-scooter in public, for example on pavements, on roads or in parks.

Officials said they would monitor safety, journey data and travel patterns throughout the trial and a public survey was set to open on 2 July.

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