E-scooter trial
The Council is taking part in the London hire e-scooter trial, coordinated by Transport for London and London Councils. Residents and visitors can rent, ride and park e-scooters at designated parking places in the borough
The trial has been established to test the capacity of e-scooters to offer an alternative to car trips - improving the transport system and reducing carbon emissions, and contribute to recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, in particular the need to provide safe, green and sustainable alternatives to public transport and to avoid a damaging car-based recovery.
Safety is at the core of the trial throughout, with scooters only allowed on roads and cycleways, not pavements. The trial will help us understand whether and how these vehicles can be safely accommodated in the borough.
Two operators have been selected for their ability to meet strict safety requirements and high operating standards, putting safety first and ensuring that the trial is responsibly managed for the benefit of everybody in London. Like all other vehicles, e-scooters will be banned from riding on pavements but will be able to use the same spaces as bicycles.
This trial is the only legal way of riding e-scooters in public places within London. Private use of e-scooters in any public place remains illegal, and the Metropolitan Police will undertake enforcement activity to deal with illegal e-scooters. TfL, London Councils and the boroughs will continue to work closely with stakeholders – including the Metropolitan Police - to ensure that the trial meets the needs of everybody living in, working in and visiting the trial area.
Any feedback relating to the rental e-scooter trial can be sent to the operators directly via the contact details below.
E-scooter operators
Lime and Voi have been selected to provide rental e-scooters across the trial area. Users can sign up to an operator’s app to hire their e-scooters and can use the e-scooters across the entire trial area.
Each e-scooter is clearly marked with a unique identifying number. For any operational or parking issues the operator should be contacted in the first instance.
Lime
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 0800 808 5223
Voi
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 0800 376 8179
How do I hire a rental e-scooter?
You can rent the operators' e-scooters through their mobile phone apps. You will need to:
- Download the app of your chosen operator
- Complete the registration process including verifying your age and driving licence
- Complete the mandatory in-app training before your first ride.
- You will then be able to find an e-scooter.
- Use a QR code or vehicle ID displayed on the e-scooter to unlock that e-scooter in the relevant operator's app.
Discounts and training
The e-scooter operators offer discounts to those who qualify, to make riding a scooter more inclusive.
E-scooter parking
Journeys can only begin and end in an approved parking bay, and these are clearly marked and distributed across the borough. Geo-fencing technology will help to ensure that e-scooters are not parked outside of these designated spaces and hires will only be able to be completed once the e-scooter is parked in a designated bay. It is expected that we will add to this network of parking places as the trial progresses and we welcome suggestions for additional parking locations.
In normal circumstances parking bays are available for use by members of the public at all times.
- E-scooter Parking Locations
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Location Type Postcode Kensal Road Footway W10 5AW Portobello Road/Athlone Gardens Footway W10 5SG Kelfield Gardens Footway W10 6JW High Lever Road Footway W10 6PA Leisure Centre/Bomore Road Footway W11 4PQ Notting Hill Gate/CZE Embassy Footway W8 4QY Kensington Town Hall Footway W8 4NR South Kensington Station Footway SW7 2NA Sloane Square 1 Footway SW1W 8AQ Sloane Square 2 Footway SW1W 8AQ Sloane Avenue/Draycott Place Footway SW3 3DB Kings Road/Worlds End Place Footway SW10 0LR Walmer Road/Pottery Lane Carriageway W11 4XG Kensington Park Road (double width) Carriageway W11 3BS Ladbroke Grove/Kensington Park Gardens Footway W11 3HA Ladbroke Grove Station Footway W10 6HJ Talbot Road Carriageway W11 2AT Bonchurch Road/Wheatstone Road Footway W10 5SG Barlby Road Footway W10 6AW
Notting Hill Gate (Tube exit) Footway W11 3AT Notting Hill Gate (No. 132-136) Footway W11 3QG Kensington High Street 1 Median strip W8 7RY Kensington High Street 2 Median strip W8 7RG Holland Park Avenue Footway W11 4UL Queens Gate Carriageway SW7 5HD Manresa Road Carriageway SW3 5EH Penywern Road Carriageway SW5 9UD Petyward Carriageway SW3 3DH Holland Gardens Carriageway W14 8HT Oxford Gardens Carriageway W10 5TD Brompton Road Carriageway SW3 2AS Dovehouse Street Carriageway SW3 6JZ Courtfield Road Carriageway SW7 4LL
To contact the Council about the trial please contact [email protected].
Equality and inclusivity
Equality Impact Assessment
As a public body we must comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty as laid out in the Equality Act 2010, which requires public bodies to consider the needs of, or the impact on, people with protected characteristics when delivering services. The EQIA process helps us to make more inclusive decisions and ensures that our policies and projects work well for all members of the community.
When reading an EQIA it can be helpful to think of it as a risk assessment, where some of the issues identified may reflect a 'worst case' scenario. Before joining the e-scooter trial we considered the impacts the trial would have on protected groups and sought to address their views and concerns. Our EQIA will be kept under review during the trial and has been revised in light of 12 months experience of trial operation.
