Voi rolls out delayed e-scooter expansion into south Bristol - leading to ‘a better city for living’

From this week, people in Hartcliffe, Hengrove, Stockwood and Whitchurch can ride Voi e-scooters after the Swedish company expanded its scheme to south Bristol - six months after it was planned.

The trial was launched in 2020 but only covered some areas of the city, before expanding into the north west of Bristol in March. It was set to expand into south Bristol in May, and this week was finally rolled out to the region. It means most of the city is covered - nearly 60 square miles.

The move also comes after West of England Combined Authority (WECA) issued a notice to start a tender process to find a company which can provide a long-term commitment to providing rental e-scooters in the city.

The expansion to the city’s outskirts in the south will bring the e-scooters to some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Bristol. The company says its e-scooters will play a key role in broadening access to employment.

Sam Pooke, Voi’s Senior Public Policy Manager for UK and Ireland, said:“We’re delighted our service is expanding to include communities in the south of Bristol. Voi provides an essential service to people which is now available to everyone across Bristol, helping them to travel to and from work, see their friends and family, and visit local amenities.

“The expansion also means these communities can take advantage of a safe, sustainable and more affordable alternative to using a private car, especially with our targeted ‘Voi 4’ discounts. We’ve worked closely with Bristol City Council, the West of England Combined Authority and the local community to ensure more people can access the benefits of Voi’s shared e-scooters across the city.

“As the socio-economic report shows, not only does our service improve air quality and tackle congestion, e-scooters also improve people’s lives by making it easier for them to access employment, which most importantly, helps create a better city for living.”

Councillor Don Alexander, Bristol City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “Bristol is already the most popular city in the UK for Voi e-scooters with an estimated three million car journeys replaced to date. This further expansion into south Bristol will boost transport options for even more people across our city and help deliver a modern, sustainable transport mix for Bristol.”

A report carried out by Volterra Partners said the e-scooter rental scheme has now become an important part of the city’s fabric, contributing an estimated £43m between 2020 and 2024 to the local economy - including over £13 million this year alone.

The report estimates nearly £20m will also be spent on Bristol’s high street as a direct result of people’s ability to access the convenience of e-scooters during the same period. Eight in ten of the city’s trial area riders are a five-minute walk from a Voi e-scooter, whilst there are 200 parking spots located directly on Bristol’s high streets.

Voi is giving new riders the opportunity to hop on and ride for free. New riders, including those in Hartcliffe, Hengrove, Stockwood and Whitchurch, can download the app - available via the IOS App Store and the Google Play Store - input a valid payment method and redeem the special discount code ‘CleanAirZone’ in the in-app wallet to receive a free Day Pass giving up to 200 minutes of riding time for one day.

New riders can also activate the code via this link.The offer is valid until December 31, 2022 and is available to new riders only.