E-scooters set to roll in Hartlepool during first UK trial - this is who will be able to ride them, and where

The pilot for the battery-powered scooters will take place this month across Hartlepool, Teesside and Darlington. Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has campaigned for the scheme, alongside Ginger, a London based e-scooter company.

The announcement comes three days after the Government said rental e-scooters will become legal to use on roads from July 4, to ease current pressures on public transport.

The vehicles are banned on pavements and limited to 15.5mph. It is recommended that riders wear helmets. Privately owned e-scooters remain illegal on roads.

Riders need a full or provisional car, motorcycle or moped licence to use them and must be at least 16.

However, local authorities can allow or run e-scooter sharing schemes as part of year-long trials. Under the trial, e-scooters will be permitted where bikes can go; on roads, cycle lanes and tracks.

At the start of the trial, each scooter ‘parking’ spot will be strictly geo-fenced, so users must leave their e-scooters there after using them. Ginger will look at introducing on-street charging and docking locations.

Mayor Houchen said: “Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool are leading the UK in new, clean and innovate technologies. E-scooters are a part of that.

“I have been a big fan of e-scooters for a very long time and when the Government announced their plans to fast-track their introduction, it was obvious that our region should be the first trial area.

“I am thrilled that the UK’s first trial on e-scooters on UK roads will take place across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.

“It has been fantastic working with a forward-thinking company like Ginger to make this trial a reality, and to be able to do it in such a short period of time shows just how committed they are to making e-scooters more widely used.”

Paul Hodgins, CEO of Ginger, said “I strongly believe micro e-mobility offers unique solutions to today’s transport challenges.

“It’s great that the Tees Valley Mayor and the Transport Secretary are making this public pilot the first in the UK.”

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