The Scoot Happy Tour is coming to the Island and will offer users an hour-long session to learn the basics of using a Beryl e-scooter and discover the array of smart features found on the vehicles.
The events are run by Beryl staff and will take place on Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 August at the Pit Stop Training Centre in Newport, between 5pm and 9pm.
Participants will be given the option to practice off road or ride for longer on local routes if confident. People can sign up for the events via Eventbrite.
A pop-up information session will also be held on 17 August at St James’ Square between 11am and 4pm, where people can meet Beryl staff and find out more information about the service.
As part of the tour, Beryl are working with UK urban cycle helmet manufacturers Dashel, who are offering all tryout session participants 10% off their Re-Cycle helmets along with a 60 minute free ride.
Beryl CEO, Phil Ellis, said: “We believe that safety is paramount, and we put it at the forefront of everything that we do, whether that’s designing schemes, working with local authorities, developing products or helping our users.
“We know that fears over safety can inhibit people from taking up micromobility schemes, so by helping to boost confidence and awareness, we can hopefully help remove some of the barriers.
“By doing this in a fun and interactive way and inspiring more people to take up sustainable travel options, we can help reduce road congestion and improve air quality and public health.”
Beryl currently operates a Department for Transport approved e-scooter scheme on the Isle of Wight and has done since November 2020. The scheme has amassed over 112,000 journeys over more than 366,000km, the equivalent of more than nine journeys around the Earth.
This equates to over 52 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions saved; the equivalent of around 308 airline flights from London to Edinburgh or 3,512,388 boiled kettles.*
Feedback from users shows that almost a third (31.6%) of the e-scooter journeys on the Island have replaced road transport journeys - including driving a car/van, being a passenger in a car/van, and using a taxi or riding a motorbike or moped.**
During the trial periods, e-scooter riders are required to provide a valid UK Driving Licence to participate. They are also asked to provide feedback on their experiences using the vehicles to support data learnings on operating the service.
Beryl e-scooters can be used on roads, cycle lanes, carriageways and other areas where cycling is permitted but not on pavements. Every Beryl e-scooter is DfT approved, ensuring it meets the highest safety standards. Beryl has and will continue to consult with key organisations as the trial progresses.
To begin a trip with a Beryl e-scooter, users just need to follow the simple in-app directions to unlock the vehicle for use. At the end of their ride, users must lock the scooter via the app and will hear a chime from the scooter to register that it is locked. Beryl e-scooters available to hire are visible both on-street and in the app, with Beryl Bays and operating zones also shown in the app.
Beryl e-scooters are available to hire through two payment choices of Pay-As-You-Ride (£1.50 unlock fee + 10p per minute) or Minute Bundles (£1.50 unlock fee and bundles priced at 5p per minute; 100 minutes for £5, 200 minutes for £10, 300 minutes for £15). Users who park a hired e-scooter outside of a Beryl Bay will be charged a £5 convenience fee, while users who lock a Beryl e-scooter outside the operating zone will be charged £10. This fee covers operational costs associated with returning vehicles to a bay for another user to ride.
*Carbon saving calculations are approximate and are based on industry research
**Based on 3,439 user responses received since 10 March 2021