With fuel prices at an all-time high in the UK, new data suggests that people are re-evaluating the way they travel around Newcastle and Sunderland.
E-scooter provider Neuron has noted a significant increase in e-scooter rides across the UK.
Between 23 February and 10 March, petrol price rose by 8%, while weekly e-scooter trips rose 9% across Newcastle and Sunderland over the same period.
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As the cost-of-living crisis continues and fuel prices rise further, Neuron expects more riders to consider affordable alternative forms of transport such as e-scooters in their daily commutes to avoid the cost of filling up their cars.
Data from a recent rider survey also found that 31% of Neuron e-scooter trips replace a car journey, with the average e-scooter trip lasting 11 minutes
Almost half of all Newcastle riders (48%) use e-scooters as a first or last-mile solution, often combining their journey with other forms of public transport.
60% of Neuron rides are purposeful trips and are used for the commute to work (40%), get errands done (10%) or travel to appointments (10%).
The Tyneside trial project has been extended until November 2022, after already expanding last November to take in places like Heaton and Ouseburn, having initially started in a central zone focused on the city centre and Jesmond.
George Symes, UK Regional Manager, Neuron Mobility, said: “With increasing fuel prices, and the reduced availability of fuel, people are certainly considering how they travel.
"Already 31% of our e-scooter trips are replacing car journeys in Newcastle and we expect this number to increase if fuel prices continue to rise.
"Over the last two weeks we’ve seen an uplift in demand and we are carefully watching how, and where, our e-scooters are being used and responding accordingly.
“E-scooters are a great alternative to cars, they reduce congestion and emissions, provide a valuable link to public transport, and also support the city’s sustainability goals,” he added.
This week, fuel prices in the UK have hit a new record high, with the average cost of petrol at £1.67 a litre and diesel £1.79 a litre.
In response, the International Energy Agency (IEA) have released a 10 point plan to curb oil use in advanced economies, which focuses largely on shifting transport trends.
The IEA’s 10-Point Plan focuses on how to use less oil getting people and goods from A to B, drawing on concrete measures that have already been put to use in a diverse range of countries and cities.
The short-term actions it proposes include reducing the amount of oil consumed by cars through lower speed limits, working from home, occasional limits on car access to city centres, cheaper public transport, more carpooling and other initiatives – and greater use of high-speed rail and virtual meetings instead of air travel.
