THERE have been "very few" incidents involving Beryl hire e-scooters since their launch in Bournemouth and Poole, according to the scheme's operators.

The BCP Council and Beryl e-scooter trial has been in operation for six weeks, with more than 45,000 miles travelled across 8,000 journeys by 4,290 individual riders.

The local authority said that despite concerns about the roll out, there had been limited issues and the scheme had been "incredibly popular".

Martin Jolly, operations lead for Beryl in the BCP area, said end of trip surveys, sent to a rider’s app upon completion of the trip, showed that 15.3 per cent of respondents said they would have otherwise taken a car.

He said one of the main reasons for the Department for Transport trial is to investigate the use of alternative sustainable transport so as to help reduce congestion and pollution.

Posting on the council website, Mr Jolly said: "Residents of Bournemouth and Poole have already warmed to the idea of e-scooting, but it is hoped that the e-scooters will also prove popular for visitors to the area, once lock-down restrictions are lifted, helping to reduce congestion during the busy summer months."

As reported, e-scooters will be banned from the promenade in Bournemouth and Poole during peak times in July and August.

Scooters will not be able to be used between 10am and 6pm over those two months, mirroring the regulations for bicycles.

Only e-scooters available through the Beryl rental scheme can currently be used on public roads, pathways and promenades in the area.

Enforcement on e-scooters was a matter for police, the council said.