Slough’s E-Scooter Service Resumes with New Operator Following Previous Fleet Problems

A town’s e-scooter scheme has been taken over by a new operator after problems with the previous vehicles. The e-scooters in Slough, which were operated by Zipp Mobility, became unavailable for use in June, a month after the hire scheme began. Slough Borough Council reported that an unsolvable issue had affected the entire Zipp fleet, resulting in the introduction of new operator Voi. The council stated that the e-scooters, all of which have been replaced by Voi vehicles, returned to service on Tuesday. Councillor Paul Kelly, lead member for housing, highways, planning and transport, said: “The issues with Zipp Mobility were outside of our control, which meant the e-scooter scheme was temporarily out of action.” He continued: “Now we have transitioned to Voi, we are confident residents can use the e-scooters for journeys across town to travel in a more sustainable way.” He also advised: “For anyone using the e-scooters, we ask that they return them to any designated return points, are mindful of other residents and road users and do not ride e-scooters on the pavements.” The authority confirmed that the scheme would initially feature 120 e-scooters. James Bolton, Voi’s UK general manager, said: “We are proud to be working with Slough council to give Slough’s residents and commuters a safe, affordable, green choice to get around.” He added: “We do, however, wish that we were launching here under different circumstances. “Zipp’s unfortunate exit is another sign that e-scooter legislation is desperately needed to give operators the certainty they need to continue investing in our towns and cities.”