UK Government Officially Approves Bird Scooters for Use in City Trials

Bird scooters are welcome in Britain.

That’s the verdict of the government’s Department for Transport (DfT), who have assessed our Bird One electric scooter model and approved it to be used in local micromobility trials throughout Britain. The decision marks a vitally important step on the pathway to launching micromobility in the UK.

Equipped with features like dual independent brakes, industry-leading battery waterproofing, bluetooth connectivity and state of the art fault detection that allows us to proactively identify and prevent possible issues, the Bird One can be counted among the safest and most advanced electric scooters in existence. 

“Bird pioneered the shared e-scooter industry, and we’re honoured to bring our robust operational experience and unrivaled vehicle engineering to the UK,” said Caroline Hazlehurst, Bird’s Vice President of operations in Europe. “Transport Minister Maclean has made it clear that safety and sustainability will be at the core of the upcoming micromobility trials, and today’s decision from the DfT demonstrates our readiness to help local governments respond to these critically important issues.”

In the wake of an ongoing global pandemic that has forced cities to rethink personal mobility, an increasing number of policymakers are turning to micromobility to help. The UK has moved particularly swiftly to clear the way for electric scooters, fast-tracking the decision to hold trials in early May and legalizing them outright earlier this month. New York City has also given the green light to shared e-scooters with a pilot set to be announced in the coming months.

With the DfT’s approval now given, we’ll be ready to announce our first trial launch in the UK in a few weeks’ time. Download the Bird app or subscribe to our Bird City Blog to be the first to know when and where you can ride a Bird One in Britain!

This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal begins with a heading 5 called "Rethink urban mobility". Pressing the Close Modal button at the bottom of the modal will close the modal.
Rethink urban mobility

Stay informed with bi-weekly industry updates and insights.