Calls to ban e-scooters from Didcot shopping centre after rollout

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Nov, 06:01 · Archive

Oxfordshire County Council plans to introduce Voi e-scooters to Didcot and other towns, prompting calls to ban them from the Orchard Centre.

Oxfordshire County Council has announced plans to introduce Voi e-scooters to county towns including Didcot, Abingdon and Bicester, following its decision to award a new micromobility contract to Voi. The contract covers hire bikes and e-scooters. The announcement follows Voi's years of operating e-scooters in Oxford on a trial basis. Rival e-bikes company Lime has been forced to withdraw from Oxford as a result of the contract award. No dates have yet been set for the rollout to other towns.

Didcot South district councillor Mocky Khan has called for e-scooters to be banned from the Orchard Centre's pedestrianised areas. He said he welcomes a properly regulated Voi scheme in Didcot, 'provided that safety and responsible use are at the heart of it', but believes the shopping centre should remain 'safe spaces for shoppers and pedestrians'. Khan cited the number of elderly residents, families and people with mobility difficulties who use the centre, and said riders should use cycle lanes and roads rather than 'weaving through shoppers'.

Khan has called on the county council and Voi to explore how a no-ride zone could be enforced, 'including through technology that restricts where scooters can operate'. He acknowledged potential benefits of e-scooters for journeys between the railway station, town centre and residential areas, but expressed serious concerns about misuse.

How it is being reported

• Calls to ban E-scooters from town shopping centre after council rolloutCalls have been made to ban E-scooters from Didcot's Orchard Centre once they are introduced to the town.Oxford Mail · 15 Nov, 05:00
• Calls to ban E-scooters from town shopping centre after council rolloutCalls have been made to ban E-scooters from Didcot's Orchard Centre once they are introduced to the town.Oxfordshire Guardian · 15 Nov, 05:00

In this story: Oxfordshire County Council · Voi · Didcot · Mocky Khan · Orchard Centre · Oxford · Lime

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