Get e-scooter trials rolling in London, ministers urged
A group of e-scooter firms have joined forces to call for the government to roll out a capital-wide trial of the new transport option.
In an open letter to ministers co-ordinated by think tank the Centre for London, firms such as Lime, Spin, and Voi said e-e scooters could “help create a low carbon, inclusive, healthy, safe and prosperous London”.
The London Micromobility Alliance, as the group is known, said that the government should also “state its long term intention to legalise the widespread use of e-scooters, using evidence from the trials to inform regulation”.
“There needs to be a new normal for travel in London: extra capacity and lower carbon ways of getting around.
“The danger is this comes from private cars. Transport for London estimates that without intervention vehicle numbers could double. That could mean double the congestion, air pollution, emissions and road danger. We cannot let that happen”, the letter said.
Last week a report from the Transport Select Committee urged lawmakers to give the mobility solution the green light.
However, the report said that robust enforcement measures should be put in place to eliminate pavement use of e-scooters, which is “dangerous and anti-social”.
The Department for Transport (DfT) is currently running a number of e-scooter trials across the country. Transport for London (TfL) is reportedly set to announce a London trial to start in the spring in the coming weeks.
Tier, one of the companies vying to be selected for the trial, has said that it could provide London’s struggling retailers with a £7m boost if it is selected.
It plans to install 400 charging pods in shops and cafes across the capital, to which riders can go to swap and recharge their batteries.
In Finland, where the initiative was trialled, riders who used the charging stations to swap batteries – which gives them a free ride – spent on average £2.85 at the location, which could add up to as much as £16,650 per business over a year.
Fred Jones, Tier’s UK general manager, said: “Our e-scooters are already having a hugely positive impact on cities in reducing congestion and pollution, and now thanks to this new model, we can also help local businesses to reap the rewards of e-scooter trials.
“We’ve seen the tangible benefits that our charging network can offer retail stores and restaurants and we would love to be able to replicate this in London, especially given the difficulties our high street is facing when it comes to footfall.
TfL said it was currently in discussions with councils and boroughs across the capital over the trial.