‘Good way to get around’: London e-scooter trial gets a very cautious welcome on first day

Outside busy South Kensington station, plenty of curious passers-by noticed the new bay of electric scooters — but only one person actually used London’s newest transport in the space of two hours.

‘I thought it was great, I’m going to use it again,” said Chelsea resident Beata Onikul, who had taken one for a spin as she headed to the shop.

It was a slow start to the capital’s electric scooter trial, with few takers — and one of the capital’s boroughs also postponed its involvement.

The e-scooters are now available to rent from parts of Canary Wharf, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Richmond as part of a 12-month government-backed scheme.

Users will also be able to ride through Tower Hamlets, but the City of London Corporation — which was due to be one of the seven areas taking part in the project — has delayed its involvement until 5 July, meaning the scooters are currently not available for hire in the Square Mile.

Privately-owned e-scooters can only legally be used on private land, but the trial rental scooters are permitted on public roads, cycle lane and cycle paths – although they are banned from being ridden on pavements.

The three firms involved in the trial — Dott, Lime and Tier — have insisted the alternative mode of transport is as safe as possible amid safety concerns surrounding the contraptions.

The e-scooters have safety features such as always-on lights, indicators, dual brakes and a maximum speed of 12.5mph – compared to the 15.5mph set nationally.

There will also be additional safety mechanisms, including “first ride policies”, meaning riders must take an e-learning safety course before they hire for the first time, and lower maximum speeds in place for their first ride.

The scooters will also be restricted by “geo-fencing” to stop them from entering areas of London that aren’t part of the scheme by slowly bringing them to a halt.

Passers-by surveyed the handful of two-wheeled contraptions that had appeared in a bay outside South Kensington station on Monday with curiosity – but only one person actually used one in the space of two hours.

Onikul spoke to The Independent as she returned her white and green scooter in its designated bay.

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“It’s nice to feel safe on it – the only thing is it doesn’t really go as fast as a bike would so I felt a bit bad for the cars around me,” she said.

“It’s just a good way to get around; it’s very convenient that you can park them.”

The 20-year-old was slightly disappointed the scooters didn’t come with helmets.

“In York they had a different brand and they had the helmets inbuilt,” she said. “I have a fold-up helmet I would probably bring next time.”

Tier e-scooters used in other parts of Europe come with a box attached which houses a foldable helmet, however it is not clear whether this will be rolled out in the UK.

Papito Kamja, who works near the station, was dead set against the scooters until he was told they could only be used by over-18s who hold a provisional or full driving licence and would be limited to certain speeds.

“I think it’s a good idea if you have to have a driving licence but with no licence I think it’s a bad idea,” said the 34-year-old.

“I think it’s some protection for the pedestrians, so you need to get knowledge about driving first.

“I think if it can be limited to 10-12mph then that would be good. I would maybe use it on the weekend.”

Lifelong cyclist James Kearney feared the rental scooters would still cause issues despite the safety features.

“These guys [e-scooter users] have no consideration of other people and the amount of crashes I’ve seen,” he told The Independent.

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“I’ve seen a lady come off a bike when one of these guys shot straight out in front and the whole side of her face was crushed.

“They go up on pavements. The private ones are not nice. I think you are still going to have some problems.”

The 56-year-old said the scooters might be a good idea in parks instead, however they are banned in the Royal Parks such as Richmond Park and Kensington Gardens.

Amelie Brice, 18, who has used rental e-scooters in other places before, said she thought they were a good idea – but only if they were limited to certain areas such as cycle lanes to protect pedestrians.

While Kasia Gronkowska agreed they were a good concept – but said she personally was “too scared” to use them on the road.

The scooters will be priced at between £3.25 and £3.40 for a 15-minute ride.

The operators will each charge an unlock fee of £1, followed by a 15p per-minute charge for Tier and Dott and 16p for Lime.

Tier has said it will not charge users while they are stationary at traffic lights for 60 seconds or more to encourage safety.

To rent an e-scooter, users will need to download the operator’s mobile app before completing the registration process by verifying their age and driving licence details.

They will also need to complete the in-app safety training before they can scan the QR code on the scooter and begin their first ride.