A TRIAL of electric scooters will begin in an Oxford neighbourhood next month.

Headington will be the test area for the the e-scooter trial, which will allow residents to rent the battery-powered vehicles.

Oxfordshire County Council is running the trial using a Government transport grant, with the scooters being supplied by a Swedish company called Voi Technology.

The 12-month trial follows the government decision to legalise rental e-scooters earlier this year, as part of plans to encourage less car travel.

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A council press released said the e-scooters will 'offer a socially distanced, outdoor mode of transport, particularly important while the current lockdown measures remain in place'.

It also added they would be useful for 'first and last mile' journeys after people have hopped on or off buses.

The trial will begin with an area of Headington, but will gradually expand to include wider areas of the city as demand increases.

The scooters will be allowed for use on roads and cycle lanes within the trial area but will be banned on pavements.

Anyone who wants to use an e-scooter must be 18 and hold a provisional or full driving licence.

They are also encouraged to wear helmets and scooter speeds will be restricted to 10 mph.

Privately owned e-scooters remain illegal to use in public spaces and roads.

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Voi is also planning to help teach riders to take it’s accredited e-scooter traffic school,, called RideLikeVoila.

The trial is due to begin in February after a licence is granted by the Department for Transport

Yvonne Constance, cabinet member for environment, Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Our electric scooter trials in Oxford with Voi have brought us an exciting opportunity to explore alternative and green transport options for our communities. As a county council, we have set out our continued commitment to addressing climate change and transport innovation is a key part of that.”

In other cities and countries, e-scooters had started to become a menace before laws to regulate them were introduced.

In Paris, for example, only three companies are now allowed to rent out the scooters after issues with speeding, parking and travelling on pavements.

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