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London’s e-scooter rental trial has been extended has been extended until November 2022.
Transport for London (TfL) announced this week that the capital’s micromobility schemes will now run for an additional five months, having initially been scheduled to end on 6th June.
The Government-backed trials launched in June last year and have grown rapidly since then, with more than 4,100 scooters now in operation in the capital.
Last week, the Government announced plans for a new vehicle category specifically for low-speed, low-emission modes of transport, including e-scooters. Plans for the new vehicle categorisation, due to be included in the upcoming Transport Bill, are expected to pave the way for the legalisation of private-use e-scooters on public roads.
Will Norman, London’s Walking & Cycling Commissioner, said: “London’s e-scooter trial has proven to be very popular, with more than one million trips taken, so I am pleased that TfL and London Councils have been able to extend the trial to November. The trial is helping to shape our understanding of the role that e-scooters could play in the capital’s transport network and helping to inform future Government legislation on these vehicles. Ensuring a green, sustainable future for London is a top priority – with the right regulations that prioritise safety, e-scooters are an alternative to cars that could help us get there.”
The Government has been running trial schemes of e-scooter rental in more than 30 towns and cities across the country, as it decides on how to legislate the increasingly popular mode of transport.
Safety data collected from the rental trials will be used to inform the legislation update.
Helen Sharp, TfL’s e-scooter trial lead, said: “E-scooters could play an important role in ensuring a green and sustainable future for London and we’re really pleased to be able to extend the e-scooter trial to November. We’re working closely with operators, councils and people across London to build on the success of the trial so far and we’re pleased that people will continue to benefit until the autumn. The anonymised data we gather is crucial and we’ll be analysing this closely so that we can learn more about the role e-scooters could play in helping people move around London sustainably.”
The London e-scooter trials, the largest in the UK, will now run until 20th November, 2022.
Katharina Winbeck, London Councils’ Strategic Lead for Transport and Environment, said: “We are delighted London’s rented e-scooter trial is being extended through to November to allow more people to take advantage of this sustainable mode of transport across our capital.
“The trial is very much shaped by the boroughs and aims to support London’s diverse local communities by providing a flexible alternative for travel and promoting a safety-first approach. As we move into our second summer of the trial where the weather is more favourable, we look forward to more people taking advantage of rented e-scooters to complete their journeys.
“We will continue to look closely at data and insights as the trial is extended to see how e-scooters can play a part in a more sustainable and healthier future for London, especially now that Government has confirmed legislation is expected to regulate e-scooters across the country. The London trial will be very important to inform this new legislation to ensure e-scooters are rolled out safely in local areas.”
E-scooter operators Dott, Lime and Tier said: “We are delighted to be extending our successful London e-scooter pilot in collaboration with TfL and London Councils. Data from the first 12 months of use in London shows that e-scooters can be introduced safely here, offering residents and visitors a new sustainable way to travel around the capital. We look forward to continuing our service over the summer, with even more Londoners set to try out our scooters in the warm weather.”
