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More e-scooters and parking bays are being made available across Yeovil as part of the town’s e-scooter trial scheme.
Micromobility operator Zwings is working in partnership with South Somerset District Council to run the scheme. Users can recommend new parking bay locations by emailing community@zwings.co.uk.
The operator is also offering all NHS and emergency workers free rides for the duration of the national lockdown. To sign-up, eligible workers need to submit a form using their work email and identification or Blue Light card via the ‘Contact Us’ page on the Zwings website. Once verified, they will then receive an email response with a unique offer code to input into the ‘My Fleets’ section in the mobile app to claim the free rides.
The scheme is being run under the official e-scooter trials initiative, authorised by the Department for Transport (DfT). It has proved “immensely popular”, the council said, with now over 19 parking bays sited around the town and over 3.5 riders per day on each vehicle.
South Somerset District Council portfolio holder for environment, councillor Sarah Dyke, said: “South Somerset District Council welcomes the news that we can continue the success of the Yeovil trial e-scooter scheme throughout this new lockdown, providing a green alternative to get around and allowing for social distancing.
“As well as providing a key service to the community to make essential journeys, this innovative scheme is a great opportunity to contribute to improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Yeovil. As we continue to deliver our environment strategy and move towards our goal to be carbon neutral by 2030, the success of this scheme could potentially bring a 10% reduction in car use in Yeovil over the 12-month trial period.”
Zwings is also taking additional action to protect users, wider community and staff, following the Government’s guidelines for protective measures as well as local recommendations and restrictions. As well as receiving regular sanitisation spray downs each day, Zwings is applying copper tape to the handle grips, which is indicated to kill 99.98% of pathogens left on the surface.
Joe Lewin, Zwings’ founder and CEO, said: “It is part of Zwings’ core ethos to support the South Somerset community during this second lockdown in a hyper localised manner. We recognise the important role our e-scooters play in helping key workers to travel at a social distance but also to help relieve stress from a hard day at work. We are working closely with local representatives in Yeovil to tailor our service to best support key workers.
“We will continue to enhance our operations as we learn more about COVID-19 in line with government guidelines, and remain committed to providing each of our communities across the UK with reliable, safe and sustainable transportation during these unique times.”
