Restrictions on e-scooters have been eased in London as Mayor Sadiq Khan paves the way towards allowing them to go even faster.
Technology which currently limits where the transport can be ridden in the capital has been stripped back, reducing the likelihood of a vehicle engine suddenly cutting out as there are fewer restricted zones.
Concerns around injuries caused when vehicles suddenly stop working have been listed as a reason but the move is also a step towards increasing the maximum allowed speed of e-scooters.
The change comes as transport bosses are additionally ‘considering’ lowering the age limit for riders to 16 despite fluorescent green e-scooter and e-bike company Lime insisting all riders are 18.
A report published by London councils in September said TFL is working with borough authorities on ‘a revised approach’ to managing e-scooters to ‘ensure the mode stays competitive’.
E-scooters are currently more regulated than e-bikes in the city and are still banned from passing through areas like the Royal Parks, the South Bank and around St Paul’s Cathedral.
In places not covered by ‘no go’ or ‘go slow’ zones, the scooters are limited by TfL to driving at a maximum speed of 12.5mph – though the government sets a limit nationally of 15.5mph.
Tfl has said it ‘will not be making a change to the trial’s maximum speed at this time’, but a recent report revealed that an increase has nonetheless been ‘considered’ by the transport authority and could potentially be progressed if there were a ‘widespread removal of geofence zones’ – which is what the mayor is now doing.
The report added: ‘TfL receive weekly incident reporting on safety incidents that occur where a scooter rider is “clipped” by a geofence zone whilst riding in the carriageway, causing a sudden loss of power to their vehicle, creating a significant risk for the rider.
‘This affects 15 per cent of all e-scooter rides, and 40 per cent of those affected do not take another trip. Two boroughs have removed e-scooter geofences with no safety incidents reported.’
In a letter to mayor Sadiq Khan this summer, e-scooter operator Voi said that the 12.5mph speed restriction placed on the vehicles meant that they ‘cannot compete’ with e-bikes in the capital.
Proposals are being considered despite the fact 35 people have been hospitalised in London with ‘serious injuries’ since e-scooter rental trials were launched in the capital in 2021 as part of a ‘green transport revolution’.
The latest Department for Transport data from 2022 reported that 1,402 collisions involved e-scooters in Britain.
Of this, 440 collisions resulted in ‘serious injury’ which is defined as those requiring hospital ‘in-patient’ treatment, fractures, concussion, internal injuries, crushing, burns, severe cuts or injuries causing death 30 or more days after the collision.
Some 12 people were killed in accidents involving an e-scooter in 2022 including 11 riders and one pedestrian.
Reacting to TFL’s proposals, Sarah Gayton, a spokesperson for blind campaigning charity NFBUK, said: ‘It is insane that rental e-scooters are already terrifyingly fast compared to a walking pace.
She told The Telegraph: ‘Safety concerns are being ignored due to what appears to be pressure from e-scooter operators who are having too much influence on TfL policy.’
Defending the e-scooter trial, Helen Sharp, Tfl’s e-scooter trial lead claimed that ‘safety is at the core of our e-scooter trial with London having high safety standards’.
She added: ‘We have also considered increasing the speed limit to align with the national limit of 15.5mph but we will not be making a change to the trial’s maximum speed at this time.’