CoMoUK

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 ebike 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 ebike availability (something cited by 54% of Beryl survey respondents as being a barrier for them in 2023). Read more here. https://lnkd.in/eRn6meyU

CoMoUK and TfWM are hosting a roadshow at one of the UK's first mobility hubs in Halesowen, sponsored by Trueform. As well as a range of presentations from CoMoUK and local representatives on the development of the TfWM pilot hubs, there will be a chance to join guided tours to the local hubs. 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. Find out more and register with the link below https://lnkd.in/e59d6BrE

As part of our “Shared Transport for All” project funded by Paths for All, Smarter Choices, Smarter Places fund, CoMoUK was really pleased to attended the annual Spirit of Springburn Community Street Fair last week. Alongside community partners, such as NG Home’s Bike Library and Maintenance Hub, we spoke to attendees about active and shared transport options available in North Glasgow. We also hosted a Dr. Bike Session, where 10 bikes were repaired for local residents. Over the course of the project, we have connected with nearly 100 attendees across the Central Belt and we look forward to publishing our insights soon.

The Department for Transport recently released the 2023 National Travel Survey for England. The survey reveals an increase in the use of private cars and motorcycles, as well as most public transport modes — except for London buses, where usage has remained steady compared to 2022. In contrast, the use of active travel modes such as walking and cycling has stagnated over the same period. There is an urgent need to cut emissions and reduce reliance on private cars by expanding shared transport options. Research by CoMoUK finds that bike sharing schemes encourage people to start cycling again, with 48% of users reporting that they were riding for the first time in over a year or ever. Users of these schemes also report enhanced physical and mental health, saving money and reducing car miles. The latest bike share research report, also found a record number of daily rides on shared bikes in the UK last year. Additionally, 69 per cent of users said they were cycling ‘more often’ or ‘much more often’ since joining, with this figure rising to 72 per cent among e-bike users. Read the DFT report here: https://lnkd.in/eckbhA4d Read the CoMoUK 2023 Bike share report here https://lnkd.in/ei2pXhHH Read the Zag daily piece here: https://lnkd.in/gjnF8ZRq

CoMoUK has published a new policy briefing which 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. 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. Read the report here https://lnkd.in/ed-D7Tbv

The Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom has found that the average number of car trips in England has increased since 2022 but the number of walking and cycling trips have stayed the same. Of 14,000 people surveyed, cycling trips stayed constant at 15 per person in 2022 and 2023, and walking trips went from 267 in 2022 to 263 trips per person in 2023. “It’s very welcome to see increased investment in active travel in recent years and to hear the new Secretary of State’s comments about more spending coming to active travel, but these statistics clearly show there is a very long way to go,” Richard Dilks, Chief Executive of national charity for shared transport CoMoUK , told Zag Daily. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gjnF8ZRq

The devil is always in the detail, never more so than with parking. Penalty charge notice management can be a significant cost and headache for car club authorities and operators if not run well.   That’s why we at CoMoUK have created this eight step guide to make things run smoothly if there has been a parking penalty. It covers everything from dealing with blocked bays where there is a private car in the designated car club space, to simplifying payments through bulk BACs transfers.  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. https://lnkd.in/eTKvDa3j

This was a great session that I took a lot from, all part of our groundbreaking and ongoing work alongside RiDC (Research Institute for Disabled Consumers), funded by Motability Foundation, on disabled people and shared micromobility.

The new transport secretary, Louise Haigh, has told her department that she wants to ‘move fast and fix things’. In open letter CoMoUK and the signatories say, a new legal status is the only way to resolve the problems caused by “entirely unregulated” privately-owned e-scooters being ridden on public roads. By clearing up the ongoing uncertainty around their status on the UK’s roads, ministers can give this cheap, flexible and green mode of transport a long-term future. https://lnkd.in/gr6ZSkyN

As part of our “Shared Transport for All” project funded by Paths for All and the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places fund, CoMoUK staff are attending a range of community events. The Clyde Cycle Park’s Open Day in Glasgow was a great opportunity to promote shared transport to local residents. Throughout the day, they spoke to attendees about options in their area and provided tutorials on how to use the nextbike and Co-Wheels apps to find and book a bike or car. Many people had noticed the bike sharing scheme and are now encouraged to try it. Others were considering replacing private cars for car-sharing. We are excited to attend more events across the City and introduce more residents to shared transport. https://lnkd.in/gn-XgVcR