E-scooter rules eased to 'improve rider experience'

E-scooter regulations in London which cause the vehicle to suddenly stop working when entering banned areas have been eased to reduce injuries to users.

Transport for London (TfL) said 15% of all e-scooter rides were affected by geofencing technology, which causes a reduction in power or the engine to switch off once in a controlled zone.

TfL said “go slow” zones - where the vehicle's speed is automatically dropped - and “no go” areas had been reduced across the capital to improve the experience for riders.

But Sarah Gayton, of the blind campaigning charity NFBUK, called for the "whole trial to be shut down", saying e-scooters were being ridden "recklessly".

The e-scooters are available to rent as part of an ongoing national trial, overseen in London by TfL.

They are still banned from passing through large sections of the city centre, including the Royal Parks, the South Bank and the area around St Paul’s Cathedral.

Helen Sharp, TfL’s e-scooter trial lead, said safety was at "the core of our e-scooter trial with London having high safety standards".

“Recently, working with participating boroughs and operators, we have reduced the number of go slow and no go areas across the trial area, to improve the experience for riders without impacting those not using the service," she said.

In areas not covered by "no go" or "go slow" zones, the scooters are limited to a maximum speed of 12.5mph, despite the government setting a limit nationally of 15.5mph.

London councils and TfL have said the proposed speed limit increase for e-scooters will not go forward until there is a widespread removal of the "go slow" and "no go" zones.

TfL receive weekly incident reports where a rider is "clipped" by a geofence zone resulting in the sudden loss of power creating significant risk for the rider.

This technology has affected 15% of all e-scooter riders according to TfL, with 40% of those users not using the mode of transport again.

There have been 51 serious injuries to pedestrians caused by e-scooter collisions from 2021 and 2022.

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