CONTROVERSIAL electric scooters which have been trialled in Minehead for the past four years have been scrapped with immediate effect.

Zipp Mobility, which operates the e-scooters, said it was reviewing the situation to consider its next steps.

The news comes just weeks after Somerset Council had agreed to extend a trial of the scooters until May, 2026.

Now, the council said the scooters had been ‘temporarily suspended’ due to ‘an unexpected supplier issue’.

Council executive Cllr Richard Wilkins said: “It is disappointing the trials have to be suspended, but we are really hopeful this can be resolved soon.

“We know Zipp Mobility are working hard on a solution.

“The council is committed to sustainable transport options as part of its net zero 2030 climate change objective and e-scooters were playing an important role in working towards this.”

Zipp Mobility UK country manager Charlie Wilson said: “We are disappointed to have to suspend our service in Somerset due to an unforeseen issue.

“We are working hard on a solution and apologise for the inconvenience this has on our riders and the wider community in the interim.”

The scooters will also be scrapped in Taunton and Yeovil, where they have also been running since 2020.

While the service is suspended the scooters have been removed from town centres and users messaged through push notifications via the user app.

Minehead had about 40 of the machines, which had a top speed 12 mph and operated from 6.30am until 10.30pm daily. There are also nearly 30 parking bays at various locations across the town.

The e-scooters were initially extended by the former Somerset West and Taunton Council (SWT), which should have ended in May.

SWT ran a month-long consultation on the e-scooters to gauge public opinion and found just 55 per cent of respondents were happy with them.

The vehicles can only be used by people aged 16 years and older who hold a provisional or full driving licence.

It costs £1 to unlock the e-scooter and 10p per minute thereafter, which is paid through the Zipp Mobility App, and they are ‘geofenced’ so only work within approved areas.