Slough hold launch event for new micromobility scheme

Having been without publicly available e-scooters and e-bikes since a previous scheme ended in November 2022, Slough will welcome 300 of the former and 25 of the latter at the end of this month.

In preparation for the launch, the Council will be holding a launch event on a large pavement area outside Slough train station, where there will be five scooters to for the public to try for 10-minute slots.

Zipp Mobility are the providers of the new scheme and are behind the launch event at which anyone interested can find out how the scooters work, learn about their safety features and ask questions.

The Zipp team will regularly monitor for any misuse of the scooters, with technicians maintaining the fleet daily and robust tracking processes to identify misuse.

The cost to hire will be £1 to unlock a scooter, and then 20p for each minute of the journey. Daily and weekly passes will also be available for regular users.

Savio DeCruz, AD Operations, Regeneration, Housing and Environment, said: ‘These e-scooters and e-bikes will provide another method of travel for residents. The aim is to have them spread throughout Slough so people can easily access them.’

The scooters are equipped with ‘always on’ lights for enhanced visibility, they are bright yellow, have brake lights and a horn.

The council are keen to point out that riders are covered under Rider Liability Insurance, which protects them against damages to third parties. They are also covered under Zipp’s Personal Accident insurance.

Following news media speaking to some ‘concerned residents’  Slough are placing a lot of emphasis on encouraging considerate behaviour when using the e-bikes and scooters. Users are reminded that they are bound by the same rules as a car users: ‘it is against the law to use the service under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you cannot ride on footpaths or pavements, you cannot have more than one person on a scooter at a time and you cannot rent a scooter on behalf of someone underage.’

Damian Young, Chief Executive at Zipp Mobility said: ‘We are thrilled to be awarded this contract in Slough and look forward to working with local teams and users to bring a first class, environmentally friendly, mode of transport to the region.’