TfL releases rental e-scooter trial safety data

Transport for London (TfL), London Councils and e-scooter operators Dott, Lime and TIER have released new data covering the first phase of the London rental e-scooter trial which started in June 2021.

Data gathered from the first 18 months of the trial shows that fewer than 0.01 per cent of trips resulted in serious injury. Although there have been no fatalities, the operators reported 22 serious injuries.

London's trial launched is one of the largest running nationally. Since launch it has expanded significantly to cover ten boroughs. Collectively it includes 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. Since launching, more than 2.5 million journeys have been made, covering more than 6.46 million kilometres. The average e-scooter trip duration was 17 minutes and the average distance travelled was 2.5km.

The main objective of the trial has been to gather data to help inform future legislation and regulations. TfL says 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 were selected based on their ability to meet strict safety requirements and high operating standards.

TfL set safety standards for the rental vehicles that go beyond the national standards, including a regulated speed limit of 12.5mph, larger wheels and lights that are always on. Operators reported that during the first phase of the trial, more than 95 per cent of trips complied with rules around parking. Private e-scooters remain illegal for use on roads and cycle lanes.

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.

Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said, "The Mayor and I are determined to continue building a cleaner, greener and more prosperous London for everyone, and these rental e-scooters provide Londoners and visitors alike with a safe and sustainable travel option.”

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. We're working closely with operators, councils and people across London to build on our plans for the next phase of the trial. We hope Londoners and visitors can continue to benefit from the trial and we will continue to use its data to learn more about the role e-scooters could play in helping people move around London sustainably.” 

Mayor Philip Glanville, London Councils Executive Lead for Climate Change, Transport and Environment, said, “Over the past two years, we have seen the growing popularity of rental e-scooters across London. It is particularly great to see that many Londoners are combining e-scooter trips with public transport, easily joining up their journeys while travelling sustainably.

"The rental e-scooter trial has been shaped by boroughs and aims to be inclusive of London’s diverse local communities, so it is encouraging to see that thousands of people have used the operator discount schemes targeted at those on low incomes. The rental e-scooter trial is the only legal way to use e-scooters in the capital, and we will continue to prioritise safety to ensure all our residents can be confident in using the scheme, helping to eliminate non-essential car journeys, making our city greener, cleaner and healthier.”