The ‘Cinderella Curfew’ of midnight is being scrapped
Bristol’s e-scooter and e-bike hire scheme provider TIER has merged with Dott, replacing TIER’s lime green bikes and scooters with Dott’s distinctive blue and orange machines.(Image: Tier-Dott)
Bristol and the West of England’s e-scooter and e-bike hire system is going to run for 24 hours a day, ending the midnight curfew for people hiring the bikes and scooters on the streets of Bristol, Bath and South Gloucestershire.
The scheme’s operator Dott will allow people to hire the scooters and bikes from midnight tomorrow night – Tuesday, into Wednesday morning. Since the ‘trial’ scheme began under Voi almost five years ago, the app and the e-scooters have shut down at midnight each night, and didn’t start up again until 6am each morning.
From October 1, however, the scooters and bikes will be available round the clock, with Metro Mayor Helen Godwin welcoming the move to expand the scheme. She said it will provide another option for people to get home – particularly those who work in the hospitality sector or night-shift workers, who may finish work after midnight.
“We know how handy e-bikes and e-scooters are for some people to get around our towns and cities,” said Ms Godwin. “They are an important and growing part of our transport mix. I know that Dott moving to 24/7 will be welcomed particularly by people who work night shifts in the West. Workers in our hospitals and in hospitality will soon have more options to choose from, alongside new night buses.
“Since the summer, we have been working to strike a better balance. Working with Dott, we have already increased responsible parking and, with councils, will be rolling out more marked parking bays,” she said.
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“Using GPS, Over 4,500 fines have been issued since Clare Moody, the police & crime commissioner, and I launched Scoot Safe in August: cutting bad parking by almost a third in just four weeks,” she added.
Since taking over as Metro Mayor in May, Ms Godwin has encouraged the expansion of the Dott scooter and e-bike hire scheme, launching into more of the South Gloucestershire parts of East Bristol, and into places like Yate and Chipping Sodbury.
Dott said the move will ‘improve access and flexibility for all users’. Iqbal Ahmed is the head of public policy for the UK & Ireland at Dott.
Scooters and bikes are now available at Lyde Green Park & Ride along with their own parking bay. (Image: Freia Turland)
“By expanding our service to operate 24/7, the West of England will join cities like Nottingham, Paris and Berlin in offering its residents greater flexibility and offering a safe, sustainable travel solution for those working late,” he said.
“Safety is at the heart of our approach, and we’re committed to encouraging responsible riding across the region. To ensure safety at all hours, Dott has strengthened its in-app safety messaging, reminding riders to stay visible, follow traffic rules, and never ride under the influence. Riders can also access the Dott Safety School for additional training on how to travel responsibly, day or night,” he added.