West Midlands e-scooter supplier Beryl launches initiative to help users improve riding skills

West Midlands e-scooter provider, Beryl, is running an initiative to sharpen skills, boost confidence and reinforce the importance of responsible riding, the company has announced.

The Scoot Happy Tour offers Beryl riders a variety of ways and incentives to boost their knowledge and abilities when using e-scooters in Birmingham.

The in-person sessions, which are an accessible two-hour course run by qualified Bikeability instructors on local roads and cycle paths, will be held each month at a specified location.

The next Scoot Happy Events in Birmingham will take place on Sunday 18 February and Sunday 25 February from 10:00am to 2:30pm, at Chatsworth Way bay. Details and instructions on how to sign up can be found on Eventbrite.

According to the electric scooter company, participants that took part in Beryl Scoot Happy in-person sessions in the Norwich and Bournemouth trial areas during 2023 made an average of 10.3 e-scooter journeys each following the course.

“These figures show that riders feel equipped to use the scooters independently after receiving training,” a statement from Beryl read.

“The events held so far have therefore generated thousands of extra journeys from riders who felt they needed extra help to feel safe enough to use an e-scooter regularly. This has contributed towards reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality.

“For those unable to attend sessions, there’s also a convenient online quick start guide and full course, which focus on users’ roadcraft skills and their ability and awareness when sharing road space with others. Both are incentivised, so participants can claim 15 minutes free for the quick start guide and 30 minutes free for the full course.”

Beryl

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.

“Our Scoot Happy Tour offers a variety of fun and engaging ways for people to boost their safety skills, whether that’s a quick online refresher or a more in-depth personal session with an expert tutor.

“We know that fears over safety can inhibit people from taking up sustainable transport schemes, so by helping to boost confidence and awareness, we can hopefully help to remove some of the barriers.

“The numbers show that our sessions in 2023 managed to inspire thousands more sustainable journeys, contributing towards reducing road congestion and improving air quality and public health.”

Beryl currently operates Department for Transport approved e-scooter schemes in Bournemouth and Poole, Norwich, the Isle of Wight and West Midlands.

Since the first scheme was launched in Norwich in September 2020, users have clocked up more than 1,840,000 journeys across the four schemes, the company revealed.

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.