Request ID: FOI-0619-2122 Date published: 21 July 2021
You asked
According to an article published on the BBC website:
[What's happening with the London trial?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48106617 ]
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"E-scooters are available to rent in four boroughs to start with:
Ealing
Hammersmith and Fulham
Kensington and Chelsea
Richmond upon Thames
Scooters can also be hired in Canary Wharf and ridden through the borough of Tower Hamlets. The City of London is due to join in July."
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I see e-scooters all over London, e.g. Waltham Forest, Haringey.
I suspect that these observations probably aren't consistent with 'legal' e-scooter use for short journeys.
I have some further questions about e-scooters:
Are e-scooters legal in Haringey and / or Walthamstow?
Can I rent an e-scooter in Haringey and / or Walthamstow?
Do e-scooter riders have any training obligations to complete prior to setting off?
Is there any work on the percentage of scooter journeys that are legal?
Are there any statistics for illegal use of e-scooters in London?
Do you have any training obligations before using an e-scooter?
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0619-2122
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 28th June 2021 asking for information about E-Scooters.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
I can confirm that we hold the information you require. Your questions are answered in turn below:
Question1: Are e-scooters legal in Haringey and / or Walthamstow?
Answer: In the UK privately owned e-scooters are illegal for use anywhere other than on private land. Therefore they are not legal for use on any public road, pavement or land in Haringey or Walthamstow. The only legal way to use an e-scooter in the UK other than on private land is via a rental scheme. The London rental e-scooter trial started on 7 June 2021. Only the following London boroughs and areas are currently participating in the trial: Ealing, Canary Wharf, Hammersmith and Fulham, Lambeth, the City of London, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Richmond upon Thames, Tower Hamlets and Southwark.
Question 2: Can I rent an e-scooter in Haringey and / or Walthamstow?
Answer: No, not currently. The areas participating in the London rental e-scooter trial are provided above in answer to question 1. Participation in the London trial is a borough decision and participation can change throughout the course of the trial. Boroughs are able to join the trial during the first six trial periods
Question 3: Do e-scooter riders have any training obligations to complete prior to setting off?
Answer: All rental e-scooter riders in London have to be aged 18 and in possession of at least a provisional drivers licence. All London operators have introduced some form of pre-rider training to educate riders before their first ride. Further safety training materials are available via the specific operators. TfL and London Councils have introduced a campaign that focuses on raising awareness of the rental trial which focuses on how to use a rental e-scooter safely.
Question 4: Is there any work on the percentage of scooter journeys that are legal?
Answer: TfL has designed a monitoring and evaluation programme that will create an evidence base on the use of rental e-scooters. The number of journeys made by rental e-scooters will be monitored by the specific operators and shared with TfL. The current size of the trial is 1,200 vehicles.
Question 5: Are there any statistics for illegal use of e-scooters in London?
Answer: The use of privately-owned e-scooters on public roads (including pavements) is unlawful and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and City of London Police have been enforcing this in London. Penalties can include a £300 fixed penalty notice for no insurance, and six penalty points on a rider’s driving licence, as well as seizure of the e-scooter. So far this year, the MPS and City of London Police have seized more than 2,000 e-scooters and the MPS has been publicising its enforcement activity and results to further deter unlawful e-scooter use. You may wish to contact the MPS directly to see exactly what data it holds in this regard. FOI requests to the MPS can be made via its website here:
Question 6: Do you have any training obligations before using an e-scooter?
Answer: See answer to question 3 above.
If this is not the information you are looking for please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
