We have two fantastic face to face events coming up. First up is our roadshow in Halesowen, Birmingham, where we will be hearing from speakers, debating, trying out shared transport options and checking out not one but two new TfWM mobility hubs. After that we have a great Scottish seminar bringing together all our latest work, including our latest report on DDRT in Scotland. Full details below; do join us.
In other news we have as ever been hard at work producing great things, the latest being: our briefing on shared e-scooters in Scotland; our guidance on Penalty Charge Notices and car clubs; and our new report on community shared transport in Scotland.
Last but not least, I am delighted to say we have accredited our first ever community mobility hub, Carrick Centre in Maybole.
Best wishes and chat soon,
Richard Dilks
Chief Executive, CoMoUK
News & insights 🗞️
Report on the introduction of shared
e-scooters to Scotland
CoMoUK has published this new briefing. It urges the Scottish Government to work with UK ministers to introduce shared e-scooters to cities and towns, helping the nation meet its climate change targets.
Scots have so far missed out on the benefits of e-scooters and many Scottish cities and towns are well placed to introduce shared e-scooter schemes, giving residents a convenient, cheap and green way to travel.
The briefing reports on the impacts of the trials which have been running in England since 2020 as well as collating research and case studies from overseas. It also outlines eight key recommendations for authorities to consider for successful deployment of shared e-scooters. They cover everything from ensuring viability to managing parking and widening participation. This is a good press piece on it.
Penalty Charge Notices guidance
The topic of managing penalty charge notices might seem like a small one, however, if the systems within a local authority are not set up to recognise car clubs it can be very costly and time consuming for operators.
We urge authorities to pass this on to their parking team and ensure the guidance is followed. If you have all eight actions in place, let us know and we will be pleased to share examples of best practice.
Beryl solar hub
Beryl and Cornwall Council have won funding from DfT via Innovate UK to build hubs with rubberised solar panels to generate the power needed for on-site e-bike battery recharging. There will be incentives for users to park bikes at them.
The six hubs are to be in place by March 2025 and are estimated to remove approximately 10 battery swap jobs per town per day - 60 per day across Cornwall. In turn this will hopefully boost e-bike availability (something cited by 54% of Beryl survey respondents as being a barrier for them in 2023). Read more on Zag Daily.
Affordable housing mobility hub in San Jose
It was great to see the Shared Use Mobility Centre reporting recently about a new mobility hub located within an affordable housing community in San Jose, California.
The hub includes shared EVs and chargers, discounted transit programs, a secure bike storage room, bike giveaways, and credits for the Lyft Essential Rides program. The pilot program aims to introduce EV car sharing, charging stations, and other clean transportation alternatives to three affordable housing communities in California. Each hub is based on the residents' requirements so they are tailored to each community's mix of services.
WATCH THIS SPACE: CoMoUK is excited to be able to publish new guidance on the use of shared transport in housing associations next month.
Community Shared Transport Report
Last month we gave you a sneak preview of the findings from studying the impacts of community led shared transport in Scotland.
Here is the report in full which illustrates the range of social, environmental and community benefits shared transport can bring.
Mobility hub Accreditation Awarded to the Carrick Centre, Maybole
The mobility hub at the Carrick Centre in Maybole, will be the first community hub accredited by CoMoUK. Located right next to the rail station, the hub offers bike loans and a car club scheme in partnership with South Ayrshire Community Transport.
The hub is integrated with the community centre offering a range of services and activities from a creche to a food bank. They aim to add day bike hires next year.
Applying for CoMoUK accreditation is free of charge and is a great way to raise the profile of hubs and ensure high standards are maintained.
Events 🗓️
CoMoUK Mobility Hub Roadshow
2 October 2024 (12:00 - 4:30pm)
CoMoUK and TfWM are hosting a roadshow at one of the UK's first mobility hubs in Halesowen. We are grateful to Trueform for sponsoring this event.
After a sandwich lunch, the session will begin with presentations from CoMoUK on UK hub development. This will be followed by local representatives sharing details on the TfWM pilot hubs and Trueform speaking about providing the signage and infrastructure at these hubs. Following the presentations there will be a chance to join guided tours to another of the local hubs within 10 minutes walking distance. There will also be a network working session with an opportunity to try out of a range of operators' shared bikes, e-scooters and cars. We will end the day with an optional social drink at a pub near New Street Station.
The seminar brings together practitioners and policy makers of shared transport in Scotland and is funded by Smarter Choices Smarter Places. CoMoUK will present latest insights into a range of shared modes such as car share, bike share, e-scooter share and community transport. We will also publicise our first report on DDRT use in Scotland.
The seminar will bring you up to date with groundbreaking research in the sector and gives you the opportunity to share your knowledge with stakeholders across Scotland’s shared transport community. We hope you can join us.
