E-scooters to hit streets of Rochdale this month for year-long trial

E-scooters will be available for rent in Rochdale this month after a major operator was appointed to run a 12-month trial.

Lime – which already provides e-scooters in 125 cities around the world – has been chosen to manage the scheme by Rochdale Council.

The firm will initially launch 100 scooters, which have a top speed of 12mph and must be ridden on roads, but this could expand to up to 500 if there is sufficient demand.

At first the trial will cover the town centre, Deeplish, Wardleworth and Oldham Road up to Lowerplace and Milnrow Road up to Firgrove before moving into areas such as Castleton and Milnrow – and potentially Heywood and Littleborough.

It is believed this ‘phased approach’ will minimise any potential issues around antisocial behaviour and misuse, ensuring residents enjoy the full benefit of the scheme.

The scheme aims to make it easier to get to the town’s bus, train and Metrolink hubs and reduce reliance on cars for short journeys.

Other potential benefits include cutting congestion and air pollution and providing a ‘stepping stone’ for those who would like to cycle more, but lack confidence on the road.

Lime was selected after impressing council bosses with its local knowledge, experience, and state-of-the-art Gen 4 e-scooter hardware.

Initiatives such as creating a Lime ‘community hub’ office in the town centre and providing unlimited rides for key workers were also welcomed.

Councillor Sara Rowbotham, the council’s cabinet member for climate change and sustainability, said she was ‘really excited’ to see the project take off.

She said: “We like to do things differently here in Rochdale and this scheme will give people a new transport option, which will help drive down car journeys and make it easier for people to enjoy everything that Rochdale town centre has to offer in a unique way.

“Lime’s first-class technology is designed to ensure that safety is prioritised, with speeds capped and people not able to stray off route.”

The scooters will be available to hire for those with a provisional or full driving licence, costing £1 to unlock and 15p per minute to ride.

Self-declared lower income users will be able to receive a 50% discount, while key workers will ride for free under the firm’s Lime Aid policy.

Residents will also be able to travel to and from their Covid-19 vaccine appointments free of charge via Lime’s Ride to Recover scheme, aimed at ensuring vaccination centres are accessible for all.

 

 

Councillor Rowbotham added: “Discounts for frontline workers and lower earners are also really important to us, so I’m really pleased that these users will be able to access this scheme for a minimal cost.”

Lime launched Greater Manchester’s first e-Scooter trial in Salford back in October.

Conor Chaplin, of Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), said it was exciting to see another scheme launch in the region.

“The trial in Rochdale is the second of its kind in the region and another example of Greater Manchester’s willingness to embrace future mobility,” he said.

“E-scooters have been hugely successful in many other countries around the world, and we are already starting to realise the benefits they offer to Greater Manchester residents.

“We know people want to start using e-scooters to get about and they can be a stepping-stone to encourage people to use cars less for shorter, local trips.”

Lime will employ a 25-person strong local operations team to help manage the service on a day-to-day basis, making sure scooters are being parked in designated parking zones, as well as regularly sanitised between uses.

E-Scooters will be restricted to a designated trial zone through the use of GPS tracking on every scooter, which also allows slow-speed zones and no-ride zones to be deployed.

When a user finishes their trip, scooters must be parked within the designated parking zones which are marked in Lime’s mobile app.

There is an option for a six-month extension to the trial, subject to Department for Transport guidelines.

Lime’s scheme in Salford has already delivered more than 20,000 rides for 9,000 users since its launch late last year.

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter