TfL awards contracts for London’s e-scooter trial expansion

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that it has awarded contracts to Dott, Lime and Voi Technology to operate the next phase of London’s e-scooter rental trial. The trial will continue until 31 May 2024, following Department for Transport (DfT) guidance. The upcoming phase will incorporate new technologies such as pavement riding detection and tandem riding detection and TfL plans to expand the network of parking locations as well.

Operators in the second phase will provide critical data to understand e-scooters’ impact on London’s transportation goals, including Vision Zero. The procurement process has prioritised safety requirements beyond the national standards. Contracts will begin in September 2023, with the possibility of extension beyond the national trial term.

TfL and London boroughs are exploring a co-ordinated scheme for managing e-bikes and e-scooters to improve parking and enhance services’ quality and sustainability.

Helen Sharp, TfL’s e-scooter trial lead, said: “We’re really pleased to award Dott, Lime and Voi new contracts to run the next phase of London’s rental e-scooter trial. The trial has thrived since its launch two years ago, and we’re excited to see what role e-scooters could play in ensuring a green and sustainable future for London.”

Will Norman, London’s Walking & Cycling Commissioner, said: “We’ve been clear that the trial must be focussed on safety and support the Mayor’s Vision Zero target to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries on London’s roads. London’s rental e-scooters are built to high standards, exceeding the national standard for rental e-scooters, and are significantly more robust than unregulated private e-scooters.”

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Manish Kharel, General Manager for Lime in London, said: “We are so excited to continue building on the success of our e-scooter scheme in partnership with TfL. London is setting the benchmark for other UK cities when it comes to encouraging people out of cars, and onto more sustainable transport options as a way to improve air quality and reduce congestion. TfL’s e-scooter trial and our numerous e-bike agreements with local authorities are playing a vital role in this.”

Jack Samler, General Manager Voi UK, France and Ireland, said: “We are very excited to have been selected to operate our e-scooters in London. As the operator with the largest fleet of e-scooters across the UK, and with services in 12 countries across Europe, we’re looking forward to continuing our growth by launching in the capital.”

The trial has expanded significantly since June 2021, with 10 participating boroughs, over 600 parking locations (over 50% on carriageways) and over 5,000 e-scooters available. Over 2.5 million journeys covering 6.46 million kilometres have been recorded, demonstrating its success.

Safety measures in the trial include a speed limit of 12.5mph, larger wheels and constant illumination. Serious injuries are rare, with only 0.001% of trips resulting in such incidents and no fatalities.

Data from the trial will shape future policies on e-scooters. Privately owned e-scooters remain illegal for public use and are not subject to vehicle standards. The trial vehicles exceed regulations and provide valuable insights for government legislation.