German shared micro-mobility operator Tier has carried out the first public pilot of its universal e-scooter sound so pedestrians can hear them approach.

The result of 18 months of research and development, the Avas acoustic vehicle alert system has been created to allow pedestrians, especially those who are blind or partially sighted, to judge the distance and speed of e-scooters being ridden nearby from sound alone.

Until 8 September, Tier’s e-scooters equipped with its Parrot computing module will emit the acoustic alert while being ridden. Members of the public are encouraged to try the scooters out and to share their feedback on the sound with Tier.

Earlier this year, various sounds were tested on the streets of London for the first time. Based on feedback provided by volunteers and further analysis, the final sound being used in the pilot was identified. This will be the first time the sound has been deployed on e-scooters that members of the public can hire as part of Tier’s regular service.

The development of the universal sound has been funded by Tier and developed with Anderson Acoustics, which helped develop the Transport for London (TfL) urban bus sound as well as University College London’s Pearl facility. The work is supported by TfL, its Independent Disability Advisory Group, charities such as Thomas Pocklington Trust, and other London e-scooter operators.

The sound has been designed to be audible in busy environments and gives more vulnerable road users an improved amount of information about an e-scooter’s position, speed and direction. Volunteers from sight loss councils across the UK, all with lived experience of sight loss, have informed the development of this universal sound.

Sight loss councils, funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust, are led by blind and partially sighted volunteers who work with businesses and services to ensure what they do is accessible and inclusive.

Tier has given TfL a free licence to the universal sound, allowing it to be deployed by any e-scooter operator in phase two of the London e-scooter trial. This will also let TfL continue to test how adding sound to scooters can improve safety for all.

The sound will be played on scooters in both London and York.

“At Tier, our top priority is to deliver safe and inclusive micro-mobility services,” said Georgia Heathman, safety and inclusion global policy lead at Tier (www.tier.app). “Focusing on how we can ensure more vulnerable road users and pedestrians can interact with our vehicles easily and unobtrusively is an essential part of this. We look forward to receiving feedback from the public and our customers during this pilot, and to a universal sound being rolled out across e-scooter operations in the future.”