Scooters And One Wheels

E-scooter rental packages to be launched in London from June | London

Londoners can legally use e-scooters on public roads next month – but only slowly. E-scooters are limited to a maximum of 12 mph, 3 mph slower than the rest of the UK when trials for rental programs start on June 7th.

Programs are only implemented in a few parts of central, south and west London as the capital gives priority to security. Three operators – Tier, Lime and Dott – have been selected by Transport for London (TfL) to run the test service.

In addition to having a lower speed limit, the scooters have lights on all the time and use geofencing to prevent them from being used in areas like the Royal Parks. Users are also required to take a security lesson prior to their first rental.

The 12-month trial is available in Canary Wharf, the City of London and in counties such as Kensington and Chelsea, Ealing, Richmond upon Thames and Hammersmith. At the start of the trial, only around 60 to 120 scooters will be available in each district – a relatively small number as the operators have a strong interest in winning the tender. The prices are set by each operator.

As across the UK, e-scooters are being banned from pavement and privately owned e-scooters remain illegal despite their widespread daily use.

Helen Sharp, TfL’s E-Scooter Test Director, said: “We are doing everything we can to support London’s safe and sustainable recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, and it is clear that e-scooters could be an innovative, greener alternative to driving a car.

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

Sharp said TfL is working with its independent disability advisory group “to ensure that the study meets the needs of everyone who lives, works and visits the test sites”.

London is a reluctant, late-breaking e-scooter user. The trials, which are already being carried out in 30 areas of the UK, started in the Tees Valley last summer. The rental programs have not been an unconditional success. In some regions, due to widespread anti-social behavior, legal proceedings have been suspended or suspended.

However, MPs and manufacturers have criticized the UK’s cautious approach, with most other European countries now allowing wider use. Last year, the Commons Transport Select Committee recommended legalizing privately owned e-scooters for use on the roads.

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