Our team have worked in micromobility and active travel for a number of years and we definitely consider ourselves to be veterans. We have seen how micromobility, and particularly shared hire schemes, make a positive impact on transport ecosystems, reducing the reliance on cars and helping to create more liveable cities. Sometimes the industry is a little too shy, we should be making a bigger noise, micromobility is providing a window into the future of our towns and cities right now; it’s a long way on from the concept days now!
We are committed to supporting shared micromobility schemes in towns and cities across the UK. However we are also focussed on designing and piloting schemes in smaller urban areas and in more rural locations. The e-scooter trials in the UK have shown that it’s not all about the big cities, some of the best performing schemes have been in smaller towns and cities, for example in Essex, Chelmsford,Colchester and Basildon all have high performing e-scooter operations. Rural mobility is a huge challenge for our industry, but micromobility can and surely will play a part in providing sustainable transport options in less densely populated areas. It will require innovative operating models, but the vehicles and the know-how are already available.
Safety is key to the long term future of micromobility, it is the number one concern for government, local authorities and the general public. In November 2022 we launched our Micromobility Operational Framework, to ensure that shared micromobility schemes are delivered to the highest possible operational safety standards. Our team provides an independent audit of shared mobility schemes, covering up to 100 individual elements of an individual micromobility operation.
The framework covers five basic pillars to demonstrate the safe operating environments in the warehouse and the assets on the street. These areas cover:
Working with local authorities we also assess operator performance against tender promises and contractual compliance, i.e. delivering to contract commitments.
The results of the audit are scored, with advisories and areas of improvement sent to the operator with a period of time to resolve, depending on the severity of the advisory.
For example, in November 2022 we audited Dott’s operations at the company’s main London warehouse and charging hub.
https://zagdaily.com/trends/new-micromobility-operations-audit-released-to-raise-industry-standards/
We are delighted to have joined CoMoUK as an associate member. Being a part of this vital national charity and convening place will help us to further develop our diverse stakeholder group of operators, innovators and local authorities, enabling us to push towards our goal of raising operational standards in shared mobility.
