Government funding free rides for NHS staff

By Chris Cornford Jan 25, 2021

Keelan Walsh, right, from the IOW NHS Trust with Beryl’s Aaron Basill with a pair of e-scooters outside St Mary’s Hospital in Newport on the Isle of Wight.

The Department of Transport is providing up to £500 to fund free e-scooter rides for NHS staff during the current lockdown.

Cllr Ian Ward, cabinet member for transport and infrastructure for Isle of Wight Council and Chair of the Solent Transport Joint Committee, said: “We’re pleased to support this initiative which will give our colleagues in the NHS a free and flexible transport option. This will help to ensure they can continue to deliver an essential and effective service.’’

A spokesman for the Isle of Wight Council confirmed that funding for the initiative is provided by the Department for Transport and distributed through the Council’s Connect2Work programme.

Rob Graham, Head of Estates, Isle of Wight NHS Trust, said: “We are delighted that our staff will be able to make use of free e-scooter journeys during the lockdown. This will help them get to and from St Mary’s Hospital whilst improving air quality and reducing congestion by replacing car journeys with a green travel choice.”
To access free rides, NHS workers need to sign up to the app with a valid NHS email address. This will provide free use of the e-scooters for all trips ending in a Beryl Bay within a 30-minute ride duration.