A QUARTER of e-scooter journeys across Bournemouth and Poole were taken in place of road transport journeys in a year, it is claimed,.

Hire company Beryl says more than a quarter of a million e-scooter journeys have been undertaken in the first year of the scheme.

Launched last year, in partnership with BCP Council, the Department for Transport’s pilot scheme surpassed a million kilometres this month, from 264,346 separate journeys in one year.

The firm's claim on replacing road journeys is based on feedback from users.

Beryl CEO Phil Ellis said: “I’m delighted that the trial scheme has proven so popular with our users in Bournemouth and Poole during the first year of operation and it will represent a significant achievement for us to pass the one million landmark for kilometres travelled.

“E-scooters provide a fun, inexpensive and safe alternative to car travel, reducing congestion and helping to clean up our air, and their arrival is already having a significant environmental impact in reducing congestion and lowering harmful carbon emissions.

“What this first year has shown is that, when planned correctly with local authorities and stakeholders and with the safety of users and pedestrians treated as paramount – e-scooters can be an important part of an integrated public transport system alongside cycling, walking and bus service provision.”

Initially launched with 50 e-scooters, the DfT pilot scheme in Bournemouth and Poole has now ramped up to 250 e-scooters.

Back in September, the scheme was extended by the DfT until March this year.

Councillor Mike Greene, BCP Council’s portfolio holder for transport and the environment, said: “It is great to see the e-scooter trial reach this important milestone and my thanks and congratulations go to Beryl on this joint achievement.

“The e-scooters have their detractors, as does anything new, but there is no denying how popular they have been and how much they have helped in our aim of reducing congestion on our roads by giving people a green, low carbon choice in how they can travel, particularly for those shorter local journeys.”