London electric scooter rental trial

In early June, electric scooters (e-scooters) became available to rent in a small number of London boroughs. This is the only way to legally ride an e-scooter on public roads or in other public places in London – and only in those specific boroughs.

The trial aims to help TfL better understand how e-scooters can be used safely in London – and how policy should be developed in the future. We are taking steps to ensure that anyone using a rental e-scooter rides safely and follows the rules of the road as well as guidance from the rental operator. The e-scooter rental trial is part of a wider effort by TfL, London Councils, London boroughs and the UK Government to enable people to use new and greener forms of transport.

Riding e-scooters on pavements will still be banned, but they will generally be able to use the same space as bicycles.

Riders must be 18 or over and have a full or provisional driving licence to rent an e-scooter.

It is still illegal to use privately-owned e-scooters or other powered transporters on public roads.

Legislation

Relevant laws on e-scooter use include:

• on public roads, anyone using a privately-owned e-scooter or other powered transporter is likely to be committing at least one of a number of offences such as driving a motor vehicle with no insurance. You could be liable for a fixed penalty of £300 and six points on your driving licence, for example
• on pavements, it is generally an offence to drive a motor vehicle, and this applies at all times to e-scooters and powered transporters
• e-scooters and powered transporters may be used on private land with permission from the landowner or occupier
• e-scooters rented from the scheme will be permitted to ride on London’s public roads and cycle infrastructure in participating boroughs. These boroughs will designate no-go areas where e-scooters cannot be ridden and will come to a safe stop, as well as go-slow areas, where the speed of e-scooters will be reduced to 8mph.

The trial

TfL is running the trial with London Councils and the participating London boroughs, plus Canary Wharf. Working together on a single trial means the trial can run consistently across participating boroughs, with safety at its core.

E-scooters are available for hire in the following areas:

• Ealing
• Hammersmith and Fulham
• The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
• Richmond upon Thames
• Canary Wharf.

Safety information can be found here. https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/e-scooter-safety

Comments are closed.