TfL publishes new data on London’s e-scooter rental trial as it celebrates its second anniversary

London’s trial is one of the largest trials running nationally, with a network of more than 600 parking bays and a fleet of more than 5,000 vehicles

Transport for London (TfL), London Councils and e-scooter operators Dott, Lime and TIER have released new data, covering June 2021 to Nov 2022, that shows the progress made during the first phase of the London rental e-scooter trial. The main objective of the trial is to gather data on this new vehicle type to help inform future legislation and regulations.

TfL has been working in partnership with London Councils, participating boroughs and the three e-scooter operators to deliver the new 24/7 transport service across London. The trial launched in June 2021 and has expanded significantly since then, with ten participating boroughs, more than 600 designated parking locations, of which in excess of 50 per cent are in the carriageway, and more than 5,000 e-scooter vehicles now available for hire. Since launching, more than 2.5 million journeys have been made, covering more than 6.46 million kilometres – the equivalent of travelling 161 times around the world. The average e-scooter trip duration was 17 minutes and the average distance travelled was 2.5km.

The trial has focussed on safety throughout, supporting the Mayor’s Vision Zero target to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries on London’s roads, and operators are selected based on their ability to meet strict safety requirements and high operating standards. TfL has taken steps to ensure the safety of anyone riding rental e-scooters and other members of the public, with the rental vehicles in London having high safety standards which go beyond the national standards, including a speed limit of 12.5mph, larger wheels and lights that are always on throughout any rental. Private e-scooters remain illegal for use on roads and cycle lanes.

TfL has published a factsheet which gathered data from the first 18 months of the trial. This shows that fewer than 0.01 per cent of trips resulted in serious injury. There have been no fatalities and 22 serious injuries reported by operators. Operators reported that during the first phase of the trial, more than 95 per cent of trips complied with rules around parking.

Rental e-scooters are zero emission at tailpipe and therefore considered a green and sustainable form of transport that could help reduce congestion and improve air quality in London. Data from the first 18 months of the trial shows that more than the equivalent of 249 tonnes of CO2 emissions have been saved by the e-scooter trips, with 32 per cent of users combining their journey with a mode of public transport.

TfL is working to finalise contracts for the next phase of the trial, following an open procurement process.

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