London’s e-scooter operators – Lime, Tier and Dott – are supporting Transport for London’s (TfL) new vehicle ‘scrappage scheme’ by offering eligible Londoners free rides and discounts.
The scrappage scheme aims to support those on a low income to prepare for the expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in August 2023 with grants to scrap or retrofit their older vehicles and use cleaner, greener modes of transport.
In addition to the grants from TfL, Lime is encouraging its users to switch to more sustainable transport options by offering 5 x 20 minute free e-scooter rides per month for three months.
“We’ll be issuing a range of comms to our riders over the coming weeks to ensure all those eligible are aware of Scrappage Scheme’s launch, as well as the range of grants and other discounts available to support them,” Georgia Corr, Public Affairs Manager at Lime UK, told Zag Daily. “Eligible applicants that claim Lime’s initial discount will also be able to sign up to our Lime Access scheme which provides unlimited 50% off all Lime rides for low-income users.”
Tier is giving riders that live within the London-wide ULEZ area the opportunity to redeem a voucher of two free ‘unlocks’ and 20 minutes free riding time by entering the code ‘TIERULEZ’ in the app. The operator also runs its own Access Scheme where eligible users can redeem 50% off all trips for 6 months.
“Expanding eligibility to the Access Scheme to TfL Scrappage Scheme users to meet TfL’s benefits criteria makes it easier for people to get around without needing a car and could lead to them not needing to own a private car at all,” George Chamberlain, Senior Corporate Communications Manager for Northern Europe, told Zag.
Elsewhere in Europe, Tier currently supports a scrappage scheme in Italy where it offers 500 EUR vouchers for use on Tier vehicles to anyone who can prove they sold their car and did not buy a replacement in the following 12 months.
Presented at the ANCI Assembly in Bergamo, Tier’s pilot project aims to help Italian municipalities reduce the number of polluting cars in circulation, improve health and make cities more liveable.
Shared operator Dott is offering its e-scooter and e-bike riders a £30 credit for £1 off each ride for 30 rides.
London-based e-bike operator HumanForest is showing its support for the scheme by giving unlimited, free riding time for a two-month period for those eligible.
“As our mission is so firmly rooted in how we can support our community, we wanted to provide all eligible ULEZ applicants with a really strong offering,” Michael Stewart, Co-Founder and Head of Marketing at HumanForest told Zag. “By allowing 2 months of free riding, this removes any financial strain, rewards the commitment the individual has made to reduce their carbon emissions and supports the overall behavioural shift to making bike sharing second nature.”
The ULEZ zone currently operates within the North and South Circular Roads in London and requires cars driving in London to meet minimum emissions standards when travelling within the zone, or pay a daily charge of £12.50. From 29th August, it is being expanded to cover all London Boroughs.
TfL’s scrappage scheme opened for applicants from today (30 January 2023).
