Rental e-scooters will become available in several Cornish towns from 18 June as part of a trial designed to assess whether the transport option could become a permanent feature of the county’s travel network.
The scheme will operate alongside the existing Beryl e-bike hire service currently available in Penzance, Falmouth and Penryn, Newquay and Truro.
To facilitate the trial, Cornwall Council has introduced an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO). This allows rental e-scooters to be used within designated areas where cycling is already permitted, unless otherwise indicated by signage. Riders will be able to use roads, cycle routes and shared-use paths, but not pavements.
The council is encouraging residents, businesses, visitors and other road users to provide feedback throughout the trial period. The responses will help determine how the scheme operates in practice and whether it should continue, be amended or be discontinued in the future.
The initiative forms part of a wider programme approved by the Department for Transport to gather evidence on how e-scooters can be integrated into transport systems across the country.
Officials say the trial will help assess whether e-scooters can provide a practical option for short local journeys, improve connections to public transport and offer an alternative way of travelling between key destinations. It will also provide insight into how e-scooters interact with other road users and influence travel habits.
Fleet and Costs
The rental scheme will use the same parking bays already designated for Beryl e-bikes. Around 50 e-scooters will be available in each of Penzance, Falmouth/Penryn and Newquay, while Truro will have a fleet of approximately 25 scooters.
Users will pay a £1 unlocking charge plus 22p per minute of use. The unlocking fee is waived for customers who purchase ride-minute bundles in advance.
The scheme will be fully operated and maintained by Beryl, with local contractors responsible for servicing both the e-scooters and e-bikes. According to the council, its direct costs are limited to staff resources and expenses associated with implementing the traffic orders.
Registration and Safety Measures
Anyone wishing to use the service must register through the Beryl app, providing a valid physical driving licence and completing a facial recognition check. New users will also be required to watch a short two-minute safety tutorial explaining how and where the scooters can be ridden.
During the trial, e-scooters will be restricted to a maximum speed of 12.5mph. The Department for Transport may review this limit in the future, with the possibility of increasing it to 15.5mph.
Certain areas will be designated as Go Slow Zones, where speeds will be automatically limited to 7.5mph. These locations generally correspond with pedestrian-heavy areas within participating towns. No Go Zones will also be in place, primarily covering locations such as skate parks.
Riders will not be permitted to carry passengers, use the scooters while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or wear headphones and earbuds while travelling.
Monitoring and Public Feedback
Throughout the pilot programme, Cornwall Council will collect and analyse data relating to journeys, safety performance and other transport indicators. The findings will contribute both to local decision-making and to wider national research into the future role of e-scooters.
A public survey is due to open on 2 July, allowing people to share their experiences and opinions on the scheme through the council’s consultation platform.
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