London will begin trialling electric scooters from June 7th as an alternative form off city transport, the underground was getting a bit busy.
Only three scooter companies have been given the go ahead to offer the rentals as part of the 12 month pilot programme.
Any privately owned scooters will remain as illegal forms of transportation on the city streets.
6 boroughs in London have been included in the pilot; London: Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Richmond upon Thames, the City of London, and Canary Wharf.
However, London has 32 boroughs making up the capital and it is unclear whether all will permit scooters as a form of transport.
Transport for London has said they are interested in opening the pilot up to other boroughs, but no ink has hit the paper yet.
Electric scooters do seem to be a sensible alternative to other forms of transportation in urban and populated areas.
London has been slow to join in on this new form of transportation maintaining the illegality of electric scooters on public roads,
Transport for London says the reason they are now considering electric scooters as an alternative form of transport is due to the pandemic.
Using a renewable energy source such as electricity differs from the current approach of fossil fuel driven motor vehicles.
it is also a friendly and socially distance method of transport that should sway travellers from the fear of moving around the city.
But, don’t be expecting these scooters to be racing around the city with a cap of just 12.5 mph you could probably cycle faster.
there will also be certain areas within the boroughs where the speed is restricted further to 8mph.
Don’t expect the battery to last long either, as the scooters will need to have powered lights and audible warning systems that is certain to eat up the battery life.
Each scooter will have geographical tracking to ensure they are parked correctly in designated locations and not being stolen.
Scooters will be permitted on both roads and cycle paths, however sidewalks will not be permitted which is a bit of a relief as I have often found my ankles bashed by scooters at a young age.
All riders will be required to take and e-learning safety course prior to rental of the scooter and meet the minimum age restriction of 16 or over.
You probably have seen scooters on the streets of London before now, but the riders have been breaking the law.
