Electric scooter hire schemes to be rolled out in London

A new electric scooter rental scheme will launch in London next month, where Londoners will be legally able to use e-scooters on public roads.

The schemes will only operate in a few parts of central, south and west London as the capital prioritises safety. Three operators – Tier, Lime and Dott – have been chosen by TfL to run the service.

The 12-month trial will run in Canary Wharf, the City of London and boroughs including Kensington and Chelsea, Ealing, Richmond upon Thames and Hammersmith. Between 60 and 120 scooters will be available in each borough at the start of the trial.

To ensure safety, the e-scooters will be limited to a maximum of 12.5mph, 3mph slower than schemes in other parts of the UK, when rental scheme trials start on 7 June. As well as having a lower speed limit, users will have to complete a safety lesson before their first rental, whilst the scooters will also have lights permanently on, and use geofencing to prevent them being used in areas including the royal parks.

Helen Sharp, TfL’s e-scooter trial lead, said: “We’re doing all we can to support London’s safe and sustainable recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and it’s clear that e-scooters could act as an innovative, greener alternative to car trips.

“Safety remains our number one priority and we will work closely with the e-scooter operators, London Councils and the boroughs to ensure rigorous standards are consistently met.”

One company that has chosen for the trial is TIER, whose vehicles also come with rider-swappable batteries that enable riders to exchange batteries at charging stations hosted in local businesses across London, allowing them to earn free trips in the process.