E-scooter operator Tier has said it will roll out e-bikes in Bristol by the end of the year, after previously taking over as the city’s official e-scooter provider after the contract with Voi ended in October.

The micromobility company initially rolled out 2,000 e-scooters during October’s launch period. However, users have reportedly shared safety concerns and issues with the app, and the company says it is repairing some scooters due to faulty kickstands.

West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris told the BBC that the e-scooter provider could be fined if it “doesn't get its act together".

George Chamberlain, senior corporate communications manager at Tier, said the company hopes to fix the issues with current scooters in a few weeks and also make another 4,000 vehicles available by the end of the year.

“We are currently dealing with an issue with the manufacturer - the kickstands are not retracting properly,” he said. “It's going to take a few weeks to get those upgraded parts fitted."

Norris said he was determined to make the rollout a success.

"We've negotiated with this new provider a contract where we get part of the profits to recycle and put back into public transport in our region. [But] the full contract doesn't start until spring and we can start fining them if they haven't got their act together. There is this transition, and it's tough.”

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A company spokesperson has also confirmed that the operator will launch e-bikes in Bristol ‘soon’.

“The aim is to have them on the streets by the end of the year,” they said. “This is the first time that shared e-bikes will be available in Bristol at this scale, so there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes at the moment to ensure the launch goes smoothly."

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Tier is working with the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and Bristol City Council. The operator will also roll out a fleet of 500 shared e-bikes and shared e-scooters in Bath in September.