Image: TfL
TfL has published new data showing that the injury risk rate for the capital’s trial of rental e-scooters decreased year-on-year over the first three years of operation.
TfL has been working in partnership with London Councils, participating boroughs and the two e-scooter operators to deliver the new 24/7 transport service across London.
The initial trial launched in June 2021 and the new report, which covers the first year of Phase 2 of the trial (September 2023 – September 2024), shows that demand for rental e-scooters is increasing, with a 27% rise in customers taking more than one ride.
Since launching, more than five million journeys have been made with around 7% now replacing car journeys.
The scheme has expanded significantly over the last four years, and rental e-scooters are now more widely available than ever before. Lambeth and Ealing recently opened the trial to the rest of their boroughs, and Wandsworth has now joined, adding an additional 35 km² and 170 parking bays to the trial area. This takes the total trial area to around 300 km² and the total number of parking bays to 1,300.
The trial has used learnings to improve its safety record, with latest data showing that just 0.0004% of trips resulted in serious injury, and there were 1.9 fewer operator-reported serious injuries per million km travelled in Phase 2 compared to Phase 1.
New analysis has also been published to show that the injury risk rate for the trial decreased year on year over the first three years of operation. There have still been no fatalities during the trial, and operators also reported that more than 94% of trips complied with rules around parking.
TfL says the trial has always focused first and foremost on safety. Operators were selected based on their ability to meet strict safety requirements and high operating standards, and TfL has also taken steps to ensure the safety of anyone riding rental e-scooters and other members of the public.
All rental vehicles in London need to meet high safety standards, which go beyond the national standards, including a speed limit of 12.5mph, larger wheels and lights that are always on throughout any rental. This contrasts to private e-scooters which are not required to meet any minimum standards for use as a vehicle and remain illegal for use on roads and cycle lanes.
New analysis published shows that there has been significantly less injuries for trial e-scooters than private illegal e-scooters.
Will Norman, London’s walking and cycling commissioner, said: “The data clearly shows that the rental e-scooter trial has helped to boost sustainable and active travel transport in our city, with over five million journeys made since it launched, and it has also laid bare the significant difference in safety between private and rental scooters.”
Helen Sharp, TfL’s e-scooter trial lead, said: “We are delighted to celebrate the latest results of the London rental trial.
“With more than 5 million trips already made on rental e-scooters in London, we look forward to seeing even more people have access to this innovative form of sustainable transport. We continue to put safety at the heart of the trial and regularly review trial performance to ensure that the scheme works for both users and non-users of the service.
“Working closely with operators and people across London, we will continue to build on what we’ve learnt to date, to ensure that everyone benefits from using rental e-scooters across the capital.”
Comment on this story