Transport for London (TfL) has today reported that more than one million e-scooter journeys have been made during the ongoing trials taking place in 10 boroughs across the capital.
In the last four-week reporting period, around 130,000 trips were recorded alone across the three fleets run by Lime, Dott and TIER. This number, which is an average of around 4,600 journeys a day, is 30% higher than any previous four-week period during the trials which launched on 7 June last year.
The total permitted fleet sizes have gradually increased during the trial to a current maximum of 4,010. Operators do not report their on-street vehicle counts, but app observations suggest that all three companies have nearly placed their whole allocation on the streets across London’s operating area.
This represents an average use of 1.2 journeys per scooter per day – somewhat disappointing as other trials in the country are seeing utilization rates of 4 or more times this.
However, London’s trial has proved uniquely challenging, with a complex operating area covering fewer than one third of the city’s 33 boroughs.
Users also have to contend with numerous exclusion zones and slow-speed areas that pepper the area, and with large gaps sometimes between the allowed parking spots, using the e-scooters can be a challenge.
In other good news, no serious injuries were reported by the operators or their trial riders during the most recent four-week reporting period – and only 3 serious injuries have been reported since the beginning of the year, across 440,000 journeys. Average journey distances and times have also remained stable at around 2.5km and 17 minutes since the beginning of the year – an average speed of just under 6mph.
Key stats (across the whole trial in London)
- Just over 11 months of operations
- More than 1 million journeys so far
- 16 serious injuries reported
- 19 minutes average journey time
- 2.6km (1.6 miles) average distance
- Maximum permitted fleet grown from 600 to 4,010
- Number of operating boroughs grown from 5 to 10
TfL’s trial was formally due to finish on 6 June but this has now been extended to 20 November this year, bringing it into line with the other large UK e-scooter trial operations.
