THE trial period for e-scooters in Bournemouth and Poole begins today.

An initial fleet of 25 electric-powered scooters will be available to hire and use on public roads and cycle paths.

The e-scooter scheme is being delivered by Beryl, who also operate bike hire across the BCP Council area.

Following approval from the Department of Transport, the trial will run until November.

Residents wishing to hire an e-scooter must have a valid driving licence, which will need to be verified via the Beryl app.

The hire agreement will also provide the user with vehicle insurance, covered by Beryl.

Hire rates are £1.50 to unlock a scooter plus 10 pence per minute of use for pay as you ride users. People using minute bundles pay at a rate of five pence per minute.

The fleet could be increased to up to 250 during the trial should there be sufficient demand.

There are 280 places where people will be able to park the e-scooters, including at the hospitals and Bournemouth University's Talbot Campus.

It remains illegal to use privately-owned e-scooters on roads and cycle paths.