By Press Release
Beryl, the UK’s leading micro-mobility provider, is launching an expansion of their e-scooter hire scheme on the Isle of Wight to Shanklin and Sandown on Tuesday July 13.
This expansion will increase the overall fleet of e-scooters across the island with an additional 25 e-Scooters, and comes 7 months after the scheme launched in November last year. Since then, 32,000 journeys have been taken by 6,000 individual riders in Newport, Ryde and Cowes. Due to Beryl’s innovative geo-fenced and lined bays, 95% of journeys end in one – ensuring the scheme is convenient for both riders and pedestrians.
There are 19 new bay locations in Shanklin and Sandown that can be found in the Beryl app. Bays have been chosen in full consultation with Isle of Wight Council, Island Roads, Hampshire Constabulary, and Solent Transport. As the UK’s only certified B Corp micromobility operator, Beryl continues to work with community groups across the Isle of Wight, to ensure the scheme works for everyone.
As the weather improves, and more people are choosing the Isle of Wight for their summer holidays, the e-scooters are expected to be in high demand in the coming weeks and months. To celebrate the launch, Beryl is offering people in Sandown and Shanklin the first 10 minutes of their rides free on the day of launch, Tuesday 13 until Monday 19 July, as well as providing 10% of all minute bundles for all Isle of Wight between July 7 and 8.
In-person launch events, which will include competitions and e-scooter skills sessions will take place on the July 13, at Jubilee Square in Shanklin and July 14 on The Esplanade in Sandown. The events team will also be at Ryde Town Square on Wednesday July 7, St James’s Square Newport on Thursday July 8 and outside Waitrose in East Cowes on Friday July 9.
For more information on these events, visit https://berylbikes.eventbrite.co.uk
Beryl CEO Philip Ellis said: ‘’We’re delighted to be expanding our e-scooter scheme on the Isle of Wight today, offering people in Sandown and Shanklin a sustainable, convenient, and enjoyable form of transport.
‘’Since we launched last year, thousands of people have used the e-scooters. We were proud to also offer NHS workers free rides during the Coronavirus pandemic and discounted rides to those on the Kickstart Scheme.
‘’By using the scheme, residents of and visitors to the Isle of Wight are helping to reduce congestion and pollution on the island, and we can’t wait to see people making use of them over the summer and beyond.’’
Councillor Phil Jordan, Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure said “It’s great to see how Islanders and visitors have embraced e-scooters since they launched last year.
“I hope with the expansion to Sandown and Shanklin, as the roadmap out of COVID-19 goes to the next stage, the summer will be a good time to get out and about and enjoy the area on two wheels in a fun and environmentally friendly way.”
Beryl encourages safe and responsible scooting. Riders must be 16 or over and hold a UK-valid provisional or full driving licence to ride.
To begin a trip with a Beryl e-Scooter, users follow the simple in-App directions that advises users how to ride and unlocks the vehicle for use. At the end of their ride, users must lock the scooter via the app and will hear a chime from the scooter to register that it is locked. Beryl e-Scooter’s available to hire are visible both on street
and in the app, with Beryl Bays and the Isle of Wight’s operating zone also shown in the app.
The Beryl e-Scooter will be available to hire through two payment choices of Pay-As-You-Ride (£1.50 unlock fee + 10p per minute) or Minute Bundles (£1.50 unlock fee and bundles priced at 5 p per minute; 100 minutes for £5, 200 minutes for £10, 300 minutes for £15). Users that park a hired e-Scooter outside of a Beryl Bay will be charged a £10 convenience fee, while users that lock a Beryl e-Scooter outside of the Isle of Wight’s operating zone will be charged £25. This fee covers operational costs associated with returning vehicles back to a bay for another use to ride.
