An exciting new mode of transport comes to campus
From this week, staff and students have access to a speedy mode of travel around Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Staff and students at Loughborough University London can now travel across The Park on electric scooters created by Bird.
Bird offers an affordable, environmentally-friendly transport solution in the area which users will be able to access from 7am-9pm every day.
The e-scooters are located in ‘Bird Nests’ which are positioned in various locations around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, including outside the reception at the University campus.
The scooters are connected to an app which users need to download first. They simply find their nearest Bird scooter, scan the code to unlock it and start their journey. It costs £1 to unlock the scooter, and the user is then charged 20p for each minute of use. For example, a trip from Here East to Westfield Stratford City would cost around £2.
The technology behind the new mode of transport uses GPS tracking and monitoring which ensures the scooters remain within the Stratford area where they are currently being trialled. The new venture marks the area as the first location in the UK to legally use electric scooters in a public space.
Professor David Deacon, Dean of Loughborough University London commented:
Loughborough University in London is very pleased to support our landlord LLDC and Here East in launching Bird with their landmark mobility solution on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. Our students and staff will be the first in the United Kingdom to ride this exciting new form of transport.Professor David Deacon, Dean
Richard Corbett, Head of Bird UK, added:
We’re really excited to be launching Bird in Queen Elizabeth Park today. People that study and work in the area will now have access to an environmentally friendly transport option to help get around. All over the world, Bird is transforming the way people get around their cities, and we hope this pilot demonstrates the advantages our service could bring the whole of London.Richard Corbett, Head of Bird UK
All staff and students based at Loughborough University London are entitled to a free helmet from Bird, and can get £5 off the hire charge by using the code: BIRDLONDON.
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2020 QS World University Rankings and top in the country for its student experience in the 2018 THE Student Experience Survey.
Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and 8th in The UK Complete University Guide 2020.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
Specialising exclusively in postgraduate-level study, Loughborough University London is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers cutting-edge master’s and PhD degrees, as well as business collaboration, research and enterprise opportunities.
The seven specialist institutes at Loughborough University London include: Design Innovation, Digital Technologies, Diplomacy and International Governance, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, International Management, Media and Creative Industries, and Sport Business. Close industry partnerships with a wealth of leading businesses and creative organisations means teaching and learning is informed by real-life challenges and driven by true industry pressures.