[Redacted]

The reason for the redaction is that this article was written in anger and although it made some valid points it could absolutely have made them much much much better. For that I apologise.

There are issues with the, clearly successful, eScooter trial being expanded to encompass the University but the tone of the article was unfair and very much used language that was uncalled for:

The issues are:

• Given that the Long Term Hire eScooters can use North Road and Bathwick Hill, there is no reason to restrict Hop On Hop Off eScooters to only Widcombe Hill, the steepest of all three routes to the University.
• Widcombe Hill has long sections that are isolated and provide no “natural surveillance”. Social safety is key for many people choosing the way they get around. For example, not many people choose to walk along the river path after 9pm at night. Having Bathwick Hill as an option would provide a perceived socially safer route with natural surveillance along the whole route.
• Funnelling all eScooter traffic up Widcombe Hill is problematic for Widcombe and Half Penny bridge, the access point to the train station, creating overcrowding issues. It is also inconvenient to anyone living in the city centre or the east of Bath (and beyond) that will incur greater costs as using the shortest available route to them, which could be North Road or Bathwick Hill, is not available.
• The trial still does not cover Twerton and Whiteway, two areas of the city with high levels of Student HMOs (Houses of multiple occupation). It is difficult for students to own a Long Term Hire eScooter as you need safe secure off road charging facilities and they have no option but to use the Hop On Hop Off eScooters (and student discounts only apply to HoHo passes). This situation is made worse by the reduced University bus services that are running across the city.
• Currently the legal limit on eScooters is 15.5mph but the trial limits them to 12.5mph, which in effect adds a 24% time cost to their use while making them slower, particularly an issue on 30mph roads. [This is a point that I did not make in the original article.]

It is really fantastic to see our third form of public transport finally be available to not only students but the 3000+ staff working at the University. However there are issues and they do need addressing to make this trial really successful.

Bath’s third form of Public Transport

It is absolutely clear that the expansion of the trial this year has been a success. Hopefully it will be expanded to cover Combe Down/Fox Hill/Odd Down in the coming months and give Bath a truly functional third form of public transport.

Adam Reynolds