E-bike and e-scooter trips top 16 million across the West of England as scheme expands
Weekly journeys topped 100,000 on multiple occasions in July as a search for a new operator begins
The West of England's e-bike and e-scooter rental scheme has hit record usage, with more than 16 million trips taken since it launched in 2020.
Weekly journeys topped 100,000 on several occasions in July, according to the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
It comes as the authority begins the search for a new operator to run and expand the service beyond 2027.
What's behind the record usage
The authority says demand has been driven by discount schemes offering cheaper travel, round-the-clock access, and a new fleet of lighter, more user-friendly vehicles.
The number of places people can reach has also grown over the past year.
Parts of South Gloucestershire have been added, including a trial expansion into Yate and Chipping Sodbury, along with South Bath and, for the first time, a section of the historic Bristol and Bath Railway Path.
Extra fines and safety campaign
The expansion coincided with the Scoot Safe safety campaign, launched by Mayor of the West of England Helen Godwin and Police and Crime Commissioner Clare Moody, alongside new enforcement measures.
Fines for incorrect parking have helped improve behaviour, with irresponsible parking now accounting for just 0.7% of trips, down from 2.4% when the campaign started.
More than 34,000 fines were issued in total between August 2025 and July 2026.
The Yate and Chipping Sodbury trial, which added 600 weekly journeys, is now being extended until July 2027, after which it will become a permanent part of the scheme with the support of South Gloucestershire Council.
New operator wanted
With the current contract ending in 2027, the authority has issued an Invitation to Tender to find its next operator.
Prospective operators will have to go through what the authority describes as a fair and robust evaluation process.
The region's e-scooter scheme forms part of the Government's national trial, which is gathering evidence on safety, benefits and wider impacts to help shape future legislation and is currently due to run until May 2028.
The e-bike hire scheme operates independently.
Helen Godwin said: "It's clear from the passenger numbers that many people across the West of England value this service. And even those of us who don't use the e-scooters have seen an improvement due to enhanced enforcement helping to strike a better balance over the last year.
"Our region's rental scheme is now in a much stronger place as a result of Scoot Safe: supporting thousands of sustainable journeys each day, helping people get around conveniently while encouraging everyone who uses our streets to travel and park responsibly.
"Active travel and things like e-bikes for shorter journeys are important, alongside our much bigger planned investment in better buses, more trains, and mass transit - thanks to us securing record transport funding from the government."
In a joint statement, the leaders of Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council said: "Since the start of the regional trial in 2020, we've seen how much the rental service has grown to become a regular part of our everyday transport mix, helping residents make quick, convenient journeys and connect easily with other forms of public transport.
"We welcome the start of a new contract process to secure the future of the service, ensuring that thousands of users can continue to enjoy the convenience and affordability of e-scooters and e-bikes through 2027 and beyond."