TfL have released their first report on London’s e-scooter trial since Phase 2 began in September 2023. The figures show that more than five million trips have now been taken, covering a distance of more than 10 million km.
It has also been announced that Wandsworth Council are joining the scheme, taking the number of local authorities to 11 and adding an extra 35 km² to the trial area, taking the total to around 300 km².
The addition of Wandsworth’s 170 parking bays takes the total number across the city to 1,300.
London’s e-scooter trial began in June 2021, under which TfL have been working with participating boroughs, London Councils, and operators Voi and Lime.
The headline statistics pertaining to Phase 2 are as follows:
- 500 parking bays added
- 27% increase in registered customers taking more than one ride
- 1.5% increase in mode shift from cars, taxis and private hire vehicles
- 1.9 fewer operator-reported serious injuries per million km travelled
- 3% increase in riders combining e-scooter journeys with public transport
The new figures also appear to indicate that there has been a shift from recreational use towards commuting. In Phase 1, Saturday was the most popular day for e-scooter rental but is now the fourth most popular day, having been overtaken by Tuesday, Friday and Wednesday. Sunday is the least popular day for rental.
The figures also show an improvement in safety, with just 0.0004% of trips resulting in serious injury, down from 0.001% in Phase 1.
The London trial is contracted to run until 25 September 2025 with the possibility of it being extended by another year.
Will Norman, London’s Walking & 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. It’s really pleasing Wandsworth Council have become the latest borough to join the trial as we continue to build a greener, safer and more accessible city for everyone.’
Helen Sharp, TfL’s e-scooter trial lead, said: ‘We are delighted to celebrate the latest results of the London rental trial as it expands to cover new areas in Wandsworth. 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.’
Jenny Yates, Cabinet Member for Transport at the newly involved Wandsworth Council said: ‘We want to support people in Wandsworth to make more sustainable travel choices if they can, and this e-scooter trial will allow us to see if rental e-scooters can offer a safe and convenient alternative to car journeys. We’ll be monitoring the trial closely and listening to residents’ feedback to make sure it works for everyone in the borough.’
The new data can be accessed here.
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