Sunderland e-scooter scheme triples in size: Hendon, Ashbrooke, Sunderland Royal and Stadium of Light added to where you can ride

Operator Neuron Mobility and Sunderland City Council have announced that the distinctive orange e-scooters will be available to ride across more areas of the city, from today, Thursday, April 7.

The expansion trebles the size of the current zone, and will cover a further 6.2 square kilometres of riding area.

The move means residents will be able to travel from Sunderland City Centre into Pallion, Hendon and Ashbrooke andwill also provide access to popular destinations including the Stadium of Light and Sunderland Riverside.

The new riding area will also cover many local businesses, adding an additional convenient and sustainable travel option for the city’s residents.

The expansion comes as Neuron celebrates a year of operating in Sunderland, during which time the e-scooters have racked up 110,000 miles with around a third of trips replacing a car journey, eliminating around 10 tonnes of CO2.

Neuron has issued more 1,600 free passes for NHS and Emergency Service staff in the North East of England, allowing key workers to make around 14,000 free rides across Sunderland and Newcastle.

The e-scooters are also helping boost the local economy, with 65% of all rides having resulted in a purchase at a local business.

As the trial reaches new areas, Neuron and the council will continue to use geofencing technology to control where the e-scooters can and can’t be ridden and parked, and how fast they can travel in certain areas by creating slow-zones, no-ride zones and no-parking zones.

Oliver Irons, Sunderland City Manager at Neuron Mobility said: “After a successful twelve-month trial period, we are delighted that our e-scooters will be serving more areas and people in Sunderland.

"Our e-scooters have become very popular and they are making a positive impact on the city. They are a safe, convenient and environmentally-friendly transport option which support the City Council’s sustainability goals.

"We thank the Council for their continued trust and support and look forward to more people using our e-scooters.”

The scooters boast a number of with cutting-edge safety features and Neuron’s safety course and riding guidelines have been co-developed with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

Mark Jackson, the City Council’s Assistant Director of Infrastructure, Planning and Transportation has been delighted with the response to the scheme: “It is great that so many people have taken the opportunity to use Neuron’s e-scooters over the past twelve months.”

"The e-scooters are about providing a convenient way to make short journeys, helping reduce congestion and improve air quality. We look forward to seeing the benefits of e-scooters continuing to be felt and recognised by residents and businesses across the city.”

The new riding area will include over 28 additional parking stations which will be highlighted in the app and also marked on the ground for visibility.

Neuron’s Safety Ambassadors will be out in greater numbers in the new areas to ensure riders are aware of the safe riding rules. which include no riding on pavements or under the influence of alcohol or other substances and the recommended use of the provided safety helmets.

Failure to follow the safety rules may result in prosecution as well as points on, or a loss of a rider’s driving licence.