Brighton & Hove City Council Cabinet members will next week discuss plans for a regulated e-scooter hire trial that could launch as early as this summer — a proposal that has been in development since the city’s public consultation last November. If approved, up to 400 e-scooters would be available from 37 hubs across the city, operated by Beryl — the company already running Brighton’s bikeshare service — with strict safety restrictions on age, speed, location and overnight use. Brighton would join more than 50 UK towns and cities already running e-scooter trials, while private e-scooters would remain illegal to ride.
The scheme would place e-scooter hubs primarily along the seafront and in key transport corridors, with GPS technology preventing use on the promenade and Undercliff Walk — two of the areas that generated the most concern during public consultation. Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet member for Transport and City Infrastructure, said e-scooters would be “a positive addition to Brighton & Hove, providing residents and visitors with a handy and affordable way to get around, reducing car use and improving the city’s air quality.”
The council received permission from the Department for Transport to run the trial and has designed the scheme with lessons from other UK cities in mind. Councillor Muten has previously championed a series of transport improvements across Brighton & Hove, including new pavement parking restrictions and safer streets investment — and the e-scooter trial represents the next step in that programme.
Who Can Use Them and Where
The scheme comes with a detailed set of restrictions drawn directly from the November consultation:
Only people aged 17 or over holding at least a provisional driving licence can hire. Riders must stay on roads, cycle lanes or shared spaces — pavements are off limits with account suspension for non-compliance. GPS prevents use outside the designated zone including the promenade and Undercliff Walk.
Scooters are capped at 12.5mph — below the 15mph legal maximum — dropping to 6.5mph between midnight and 5am on weekdays. A full curfew prevents hiring between midnight and 5am on Saturday and Sunday mornings. All scooters carry registration plates, front and rear lights, horns and third-party public liability insurance. Dangerous riding risks account suspension, and helmet use will be actively incentivised though not legally required.
The Safety Case
Safety was the dominant concern in last November’s consultation and the council has responded with restrictions that go beyond most other UK trials. Councillor Muten said: “The safety features of our scheme go above and beyond what most other trials are doing. A highly regulated e-scooter scheme addresses many of the concerns raised during the public consultation and ensures our scheme has a culture of safety right from the start.”
The council will monitor scheme data continuously and seek ongoing public feedback throughout. The e-scooter trial fits into a broader picture of sustainable transport investment in Brighton, with the council having committed around £8 million to road and pavement improvements and new cycling infrastructure along the A23, through Valley Gardens and along the seafront.
The Cabinet discussion takes place next week. If approved, Brighton & Hove would become one of the largest e-scooter trial cities in the UK.
