scooters at Media City

E-scooters could play an important role in Salford’s future transport infrastructure, says a researcher at the the city’s university.

Dr Luke Blazejewski, of Healthy Active Cities at the University of Salford, is about to update the public on e-scooters which are being piloted on campus.

He said: “E-scooters offer a unique and innovative way of getting around cities in a quick, efficient and fairly low carbon way.

“I think e-scooters are very much still in their embryonic phase and we have a lot to learn about how they fit into the wider transport system, and for what kinds of journeys people will use them.”

E-scooter use will be compared particularly with other traditional active modes of sustainable transport, such as cycling, to establish their pros and cons. Their study will also try to understand scooters in relation to other road users, the wider community, and vulnerable people.

The e-scooters cost as little as £1 to start, and then cost £0.15p per minute.

Healthy Active Cities is a research group at the University of Salford formed in 2018 to bring together researchers and stakeholders to develop research on transport in Greater Manchester and beyond. The group has a particular interest in sustainable and active travel technologies and practices.

Their study will inform UK government policy on the legality of private e-scooters, which are currently illegal to use in the UK unless part of a trial scheme.

Lime E-scooters, a part of the Department of Transport’s national trials, were introduced in Salford last September and have been a popular alternative for cheap travel among all age groups.

Dr Blazejewski will be joined by fellow Salford academics Dr Graeme Sherriff and Dr Antonio J Torija Martinez to discuss the e-scooter project at a seminar and  Q&A session as part of their Sustainable Transport Futures seminar series  this Thursday May 27, at 12.30 pm. To join the free seminar, register your interest here.

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