Voi Technology installs new e-scooter parking infrastructure in Portsmouth

Credit: Voi Technology

Voi Technology continues its commitment to invest in the city of Portsmouth, making its e-scooter rental service more convenient as the company announces the installation of 32 new parking racks over the last six months – adding 260 parking spaces across the city.

Increasing the total capacity by nearly a third, the addition of new parking racks in the city means the total parking provision available for riders now reaches 900 spaces (across 75 parking racks in total) – making the service even more user-friendly for residents and visitors.

Working in partnership with Solent Transport Future Zone and Portsmouth City Council, Voi has made this popular service more accessible in existing areas as well as opened up more places in the city currently underserved by the scheme, such as Milton Common, Eastney Beach and the Lock Sailing Club.

Addressing parking and improving the convenience of micro-mobility is an important part of helping cities transition to a decarbonised future as this low-emissions mode of transport reduces traffic congestion and improves the quality of the air that people breathe. 

Making it easier to park rental e-scooters can make living without a car in the city more straightforward and effortless, especially when using them for shopping and socialising or for the one in five riders using the service for their daily commute to work. More racks also encourage people to combine rental e-scooters with public transport. According to Voi’s latest user survey, over 47 per cent of riders already combine rental e-scooters with public transport.

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Investing in parking infrastructure is also an important part of Voi’s ongoing commitment to safety, particularly for vulnerable road users. Dedicated parking racks also ensure rental e-scooters are parked within safe areas to improve accessibility and safety for all, something which was highlighted in the 2021 International Transport Forum Report.

Jim Hubbard, Senior Public Policy Manager at Voi, said: “Parking racks are an important part of helping make rental e-scooters more convenient and accessible for all, especially as the car is still the dominant mode of transport in Portsmouth. The success of the scheme has so far helped change Portsmouth for the better. With nearly 900 safe parking spaces now available to riders across the city, it has never been easier for more people to hop on and off, leave their cars at home, and most importantly, tackle the impacts of climate change.”

Councillor Lynne Stagg, cabinet member for Traffic and Transportation at Portsmouth City Council and Chair of Solent Transport’s Joint Committee, said: “The latest figures on rental e-scooter use show that people are using them as part of their daily routine, which is what we hoped would happen, and I’m pleased to see people are using them with other modes of public transport. These findings are in line with what we as a council would like to see – people travelling across our city in ways that are convenient, cost-effective and considerate. There’s also less of an environmental impact, improving air quality for everyone in Portsmouth.”