Bristol e-scooter safety warning as long-term rentals stopped

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.
-Credit: (Image: Tier-Dott)


A safety warning has been issued to rental users of Bristol's official e-scooters. TIER-Dott has stopped the long-term rental trial of e-scooters in the city while safety risks are assessed.

People have been urged not to charge their deactivated scooter. Instead, they have been advised to immediately put it outside of their home in a visible and accessible place.

West of England Combined Authority said: "If you are a long-term rental user of a TIER-Dott e-scooter, you should have received a message from TIER-Dott about their decision to pause the long-term rental trial of e-scooters in the West of England. The trial has been paused whilst TIER-Dott reassesses the risks posed by the at-home charging model.

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"For safety reasons, they strongly advise people not to attempt to charge their deactivated scooter and to immediately place it outside their home in a visible, accessible and non-obstructive location for pickup. If you are a long-term rental user, please check your emails/text messages and action as soon as possible."

The e-scooter trial has been running in Bristol and the wider region for almost four years. People could pay a monthly fee and effectively get their own e-scooter, keep it and charge it at their home or workplace, rather than hire scooters in a pay-as-you-go method.

Earlier this week, TIER-Dott sent a message to users announcing that the long-term rental scheme had stopped. It read: “In the coming days, you will be contacted again to arrange the collection of chargers.

"All subscriptions will be refunded, an upon successful collection of your scooter, we will provide promo codes for 30 days of free rides on Tier/Dott shared e-bike and e-scooter service. We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding."

A spokesperson for BARBI, the Bristol Association of Restaurants, Bars and Independent establishments, described the decision to stop the monthly hire as a ‘blow for all the workers who rely on the long term scooters, especially post midnight’.