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TfL’s new E-scooter rental scheme for central London is finally here. The initial trial starts today (Monday June 7) across an unspecified core of the capital’s boroughs (mysterious!), plus the City of London and Canary Wharf. It will involve three rental providers – Dott, Lime and Tier.
The move comes after the government's 2020 announcement that it was planning to legalise rental trials of E-scooters run by local authorities. TfL and London councils then opened up the trial of the scheme to companies, before selecting the three announced operators.
There will be safety-focused differences between the rental scooters and the ones you can buy. These include:
- A lower maximum speed of 12.5mph.
- Lights at the front and the rear of the scooters that are always on .
- Audible warning systems that can be used without adjusting the rider’s grip of the handlebar.
New riders will also have to take an E-learning safety course before they hire a scooter for the first time. The rental scooters will only be allowed on roads and in cycleways. The operators will also have to ensure that rental prices take into account the needs of people on lower incomes and to offer discounts to certain groups, including key workers.
The news follows Mayor Sadiq Khan’s commitment to reduce traffic in the capital, cutting pollution, increasing the pedestrianisation of streets and avoiding what he called a ‘car-led recovery’ out of lockdown.
Philip Glanville, chair of London councils’ transport and environment committee, said: ‘The rental E-scooter trial has the potential to support our citywide response to the coronavirus pandemic and boost London’s green recovery. It will be important to see how this new service impacts London’s existing transport network and carbon emissions and how inclusive it is of the travel needs of all Londoners – especially those on lower incomes. We would urge Londoners to only use rented E-scooters and avoid unregulated privately owned E-scooters, which will remain illegal to use on public roads and have not been designed for safe use on the capital’s streets.’
So, there you go. You can finally ride an electric scooter – legally – on the streets of London. Just be careful, yeah? For God’s sake.
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