A TRAILBLAZING scheme is celebrating its first anniversary of public hire e-scooters in Colchester.

Spin, the micromobility unit of Ford Motor Company, has reached the conclusion of its first year undertaking trials of the transport across Essex, having launched in the UK in September 2020.

During this time, 600,000 rides have been undertaken across the county with riders travelling an average of 1.8 miles and for the duration of 23 minutes.

Teething problems with the scooters have seen concerns raised by Colchester residents about the scheme’s safety, but Spin has stated it is doing all it can to remedy the issues.

A persistent issue has been scooters left abandoned on the streets, posing as a trip hazard and general eyesore across the town.

Read more: The rules on electric scooters in Colchester explained

Spin stated it has listened to concerns from its Essex E-Scooter Trial Access Stakeholder group, which was established to include vulnerable road users’ feedback.

Issues raised included inappropriate e-scooter parking and anti-social behaviour from riders.

On the back of the feedback, Spin, in consultation with the group, says it is considering various solutions which will aim to mitigate these concerns.

The anniversary follows the recent announcement of the extension of the scheme in Essex until November, as part of the Department for Transport trials.

Colchester riders have so far clocked up 203,000 journeys while Clacton, where the trial concluded in October last year, saw 40,000 trips on the e-scooters.

In Braintree, a different model is operated where customers can hire a scooter on a monthly basis, while also considering launching short-term hire.

UK general manager at Spin Steve Pyer said: “We are excited to see the rapid rate of Essex residents adopting this greener, faster alternative to car travel - it’s clear e-scooters have become an integral part of the local transport ecosystems for many.

“E-scooters are a crucial mode of transport to help keep UK cities moving, especially during times when we may want to keep more social distance.

“We will continue to work closely with the local authorities and various stakeholder groups to ensure continued success of the trials.”