City e-scooter trial could begin in summer 2027

People in Manchester could be travelling around on a fleet of electric scooters next year after plans for a new trial were announced.

Manchester City Council is putting together proposals for the scheme and said in a report that it could begin in summer 2027, although the authority added it had not yet considered an operator for the e-scooters.

The plans come off the back of the Lime scooter scheme in Salford which Salford Council said had been a major success.

A council spokesperson stressed that a decision on whether to proceed with an e-scooter trial had not yet been made, and was conditional on backing from Greater Manchester Police and other groups.

They said provisional approval had been received from the Department for Transport (DfT) for the council to develop a proposal, and "officers are currently undertaking work to assess future benefits, risks and how an e-scooter scheme could work in practice in Manchester".

Summer 2027 was the latest a trial could start in line with DfT requirements for new trials, they added.

The council's report on e-scooters said they could offer Manchester residents and visitors a "popular zero-emission transport mode" to get around the city.

An e-scooter trial was launched in Salford in 2020 and the city has continued to renew the scheme every two years since then, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The scheme in Salford is operated by Lime, and anyone who is over 18 with a provisional driving license can hire one through an app.

Salford deputy mayor Mike McCusker said the scooters have been an "overwhelming success" in the city with more than 2.5 million journeys made, replacing an estimated 600,000 car journeys.

"This demonstrates the important role e-scooters can play in reducing car dependency and giving people more choice in how they travel," he added.

Lime scooters have caused some issues in Salford, however.

Salford Quays councillor Jonathan Moore said in 2024 that they were being used by children to race down car parks, causing noise disturbance to local residents.

Lime introduced stricter verification checks in response, but Moore said there were still some ongoing problems.

Salford deputy mayor Mike McCusker said there had been problems with pavement riding and inconsiderate parking, but explained that Salford Council was working with Lime over the issues.

Manchester City Council said that if the trial were to go ahead then it would be conditional on the approval of Greater Manchester Police, disability groups, councillors and other key stakeholders, as well as sourcing an operator.

It would be run on a commercial basis, with no cost to the council, the spokesperson added.

The council said the move would be further scrutinised by officials before a decision is made on whether to move ahead with the plans.

Ed Ingram from Lime said since their scheme launched in Salford in 2021, "e-scooters have proven themselves to be a safe, affordable and important part of active travel in the city".

Lime confirmed riders must be aged 18 or over and have to complete an ID scan to confirm their age.

Suspected underage riding should be reported with the time and location to its help centre so it can take action, they added.

The Department for Transport has been approached for comment.

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