Tier, Lime and Dott have been confirmed by Transport for London as the operators for the shared e-scooter trial in the city, which starts on 7 June.
The London trial will have specific safety and technical requirements, with top speeds limited to 12.5mph, 3mph lower than the national guidance.
Additionally, e-scooters will be required to have their lights permanently on, with geofencing technology installed in order to prevent theft.
As is the case across the UK, riders need a full or provisional driver’s licence, but helmets are not mandatory.
Riders will also need to take a safety lesson prior to renting one of the 60-150 e-scooters that will initially be made available in Canary Wharf and the City of London, as well as the boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, Ealing, Richmond upon Thames and Hammersmith.
The end date for the trials was recently moved back until March 31 2022.
Two of the three operators have been partaking in the trials around the UK already, with Tier present in York and Lime in Milton Keynes, Salford and Rochdale, while this is the first UK trial to involve Dott.
The same three operators were chosen to run the Paris trials, which could have been a factor in the TfL decision.
Lime has run a bikeshare programme in London for the past few years, with a fleet of around 1,400 according to Zag data.
Lime CEO Wayne Ting said: “We’re proud to have already served more than 400 000 Londoners through our shared e-bike service over the last three years, and are delighted to now be able to bring our latest e-scooters to London. By offering two safe, convenient and zero-emission travel options through the Lime app, we hope to contribute to the development of a greener transport system that is accessible for everyone.
“London is one of the world’s greatest cities and we’re humbled that Transport for London and London Councils have placed their trust in us to deliver the e-scooter trial in the Capital. We are now focused on developing a world-class e-scooter service for residents and visitors to London – improving and innovating alongside TfL, the Boroughs and the other transport operators to ensure Lime works for every Londoner.”
TfL e-scooter trial lead Helen Sharp added: “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.”
Green = Participating
Yellow = Ride-through
Pink = Under consideration
Black = Not participating
