Transport for London (TfL), Westminster City Council and London Councils have announced an expansion of the capital’s rental e-scooter trial, with e-scooters available to rent in the City of Westminster.
From Monday 02 August, e-scooters can be hired and used in a wider area of central and inner London. TfL and London Councils are continuing discussions with boroughs about further expansions over the coming months.
Launched in June, the rental e-scooter trials initially covered Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, Richmond, Tower Hamlets and Canary Wharf. From July, the City of London, Lambeth and Southwark joined the trial.
Will Norman, London’s walking & cycling commissioner, said: “I’m pleased that Westminster have joined the e-scooter trial and will be working closely with TfL to roll them out.
“E-scooters have been on our streets for some time now but with very little regulation. This trial has safety at its heart, bringing in rigorous precautions and parking measures while taking the needs of all road users into account and seeing what role e-scooters can play in London’s future.
“As we look to our capital’s future, we want to ensure a green and sustainable recovery from the pandemic. We know that a huge portion of car journeys in London are for very short distances, and we want to explore how e-scooters can act as an innovative alternative.”
The Metropolitan Police remind users that the only legal way to ride an e-scooter on public roads is with a rental e-scooter. Use of privately owned e-scooters on public roads remains illegal.
While the Department for Transport will ultimately make any decisions on future e-scooter policy, data shared by the operators will play a role in helping to shape London and the UK’s future policy on e-scooters. This will include anonymised trip details, safety and incident reporting and environment and sustainability metrics.
TfL has installed a micromobility data sharing platform which allows for two-way data sharing with the operators and helps with the day-to-day management of the trial. Each operator is communicating with its customers directly and the operator is the first port of call for any issues related to e-scooter rentals during the trial.
Mayor Philip Glanville, chair of London Councils’ transport and environment committee, added: “Safety remains the top priority for the trial. We will be looking closely at data and insights as the trial continues to grow to determine whether e-scooters are a viable part of a greener and healthier future for London.”
