London rental e-scooter trial

These things are a menace.   They are dumped all over the place, in the middle of the street so cars cannot move, in the middle of pavements as opposed to the side, - thus causing a hazard for blind people and stopping people with pushchairs, etc.   People on scooters to not keep to the speed limit and rush past everybody without care.   I am surprised there are not more accidents.   In our narrow streets it is difficult enough to negotiate other cars and cyclists without these scooters rushing at a ridiculous speed with any consideration for anyone.

Not available in my borough although illegal ones abound usually driven by youngsters. 
in theory rental schemes are a good idea BUT scooters are often dumped any old place blockingvpavements or causing a hazard for the visually impaired. Some way of making safety helmets available would make it more attractive. Compulsory training in road safety before allowing riders to join a scheme

Stave Hill Ecology Park is a dumping ground for several of these dockless also there has been 1 on cow Lane by the Primary school for 8 days. It was in the middle of the path but 3 days ago someone has moved it to the grass by the school gates

I think it would be interesting to integrate the rental of e-scooters with major train terminals such as Waterloo. I would definitely use them more if they were available at major train stations.

Perhaps it would be good to increase publicity on the availablilty of rental e-scooters in London and surrounding boroughs.

Looking forward to using this service more in the future.

Thank you to the Department of Transport for offering this service.

additionally no one on these death traps wear safety gear, these companies must be made liable for any and all injuries to those using them and the other people harmed by them

I’ve seen a few of these in odd places presumably dumped. As a 68 year old I wouldn’t dream of using one! 

My main knowledge of e-scooters is from nearly being knocked over by them several times stepping out of my front gate onto the pavement.

They are dangerous. Riders should have to use them on the road, not the pavement; and should have a driving licence before being allowed to rent them, with rental codes enabling identification and prosecution in the case of an accident.
 

They are driven too fast, in the wrong place, by young people who when on the road jump the lights, pull out past parked cars with no signals with no consideration for other road users and pedestrians. 

I’ve seen people riding e-scooters and bikes on the pavements, not stopping at crossing etc. You can’t hear them coming and, as someone with mobility problems, they terrify me. The police don’t do anything about the illegal ones but then they don’t do anything about any of the crime in London. It feels like anything goes now. Cyclist on the pavements, e-scooters overtaking cars.

I think e-scooters are an excellent, environmentally friendly, quick way of getting around towns and cities and I can't understand why they haven't been legalised already.

I don't believe they represent any more danger than bikes and are certainly safer than cars. It's sad that the default in this country is "no", they're perfectly acceptable in other countries and should be here too.

As long as the speed is fixed and they are geo fenced to an area I can't see a problem with them and could fill a niche for those who can't (or won't) drive but aren't physically able (or want) to cycle.

The only issue I can foresee is that they do tend to be abandoned anywhere when not needed which could cause an obstruction but this is also the case with other hire bikes too.

Perhaps this can be overcome with proper docking bays?

Will they be abused by a minority of individuals? Probably, but the same can be also be said of bikes, motorbikes and cars and those who are caught should be punished under existing laws.

In any case it should always be remembered that the main threat to public safety on our roads comes from motorists.

I know what you mean, but those are faults of the riders, not the scooters, the ones which are not ridden or parked ( abandoned) are simply not noticed. I don’t think everyone rides dangerously, I think we only really notice and remember those who do.

I have seen these scooters many times in boroughs which are not on that list! I think they look like a good way to get around, in general. The only real gripe I have about them is that they are often abandoned in inappropriate places - blocking pavements and paths. 

These along with the dockless bikes, scooter are a serious hazard across London. They are easy stolen and used by very young children I see this daily. The users are inconsiderate and leave the machines in the middle of pavement meaning pedestrians, wheelchair users & buggies have to walk past in the road. On my estate there are 5 lime bikes 3 of the blue ones and 7 scooters that the kids use and leave blocking the stairs, the walk ways. Despite the companies being informed nothing is done it has been this way for over 6 weeks. In our Nature Reserve the scooters and bikes are dumped. It is extremely irresponsible to allow these dockless dangerous items to be littered across the city

I am an ex-cyclist and strongly opposed to e scooters.   I am in my 70s, living alone, with osteoporosis; being knocked by an escooter, or tripping over an escooter could disable me.  I live close to Camden which has escooters.

The scooters are very heavy, their small wheels make them vulnerable to toppling their riders on potholes; the high centre of gravity makes them less stable.

They offer no exercise for the rider and I can not see how they are useful for short trips as (unlike a bike) you can not safely carry shopping.  Surely we should encourage people to walk short distances – better for their health and carbon emissions.

These questions seemed designed to get a positive response.  e.g. the question on where you would like to see them: nowhere was not an answer.

I think they are a good idea, but need designated parking bays on the road. 

I’m a keen cyclist and I’m very supporting of bike hire schemes - those should be rolled out further, and e-bikes should be allowed to go faster - at the very least, 20mph so they can safely keep up with traffic on London streets instead of risking dangerous overtakes. I would love to be able to walk 2 minutes and get on a e-bike anywhere in London (for when I’ve left my bike at home or, like right now, when I need to get it to a repair shop!)

However, I’m strongly opposed to e-scooters. They strike me as dangerous: unlike a bicycle, they require no real skill to get on, which means completely inexperienced road users are then whizzing at high speeds through traffic and putting themselves into dangerous situations. Additionally, they’re small and nimble enough that their users seem to think they can be ridden on pavements, and can be ridden by multiple people at once creating even more danger. I think this is an issue for both riders and other vulnerable road users (including pedestrians).

The only benefit is that they take up less pavement space than dockless e-bikes, but the latter should be limited to on-road parking (e.g. replacing parking bays with cycle parking) and large public spaces anyway, and then that would solve the issue.

I thonk scooters should be banned. They are dangerous to pedastrians and riders. Roads are in too poor a state of repair for their use and they are all too often uded on pavements.

Scooters are even more dangerous than bikes.  The riders ignore red traffic lights, ride at speed on pavements and weave in an out of traffic making it nerve-racking for anyone in a vehicle and terrifying for pedestrians.   I frequently see two people on one scooter.  I see drunk people and under 14s on scooters.  It may be illegal, but who cares?  The police can't, and shouldn't have to, manage them.  Walking and enjoying our fascinating city has been ruined in just a few short years.  These scooters, cycles together with their extra lanes and facilities have made central London very unpleasant.

When riders finish with the scooters, they just thrown them on the floor - anywhere.  They block pavements, even the sloping parts of pavements, which were put there for wheel chair users/people with mobility issues.  

Asking for our comments is one thing, but I am very sceptical about any help.

The trial has been a farce as there are so many e-scooters around that it's impossible to tell which ones are rental. I live in Croydon where there is no legal scheme but travel several times a week to Southwark and there is no discernible difference in volume of e-scooters or behaviours. They are ridden, mostly on the pavement and not confined to any particular age. I've had as many dangerous encounters with mums on phones returning from dropping their kid at school as I have with what some might perceive as "young tearaways". There is no visible enforcement and they are dangerous when used on pavements - that would equally apply to owned and rental scooters. I also note that the currently dock-less cycle hire schemes have resulted in bikes being dumped often outside schools, across pavements, in driveways, etc and it's difficult to see how a wider rental e-scooter programme would be any different. The elderly and visually/physically impaired have enough difficulties getting around without these obstacles to add to it. 

I am broadly supportive of the scheme - as a cyclist I was initially concerned but I haven't really encountered issues with e-scooters. Having been sceptical I tried one a few weeks ago vis Lime hire and found it to be fun and quite relaxed as a way to travel. I think the speed restriction is essential and the nedd for some kind of proficiency test (if not a driving licence). The scheme has been MUCH better managed in London that it was in Paris - it became impossible to navigate pavements in Paris with e-scooters being dumped everywhere. In London the card you pay to use the e-scooter can be charged if you do not leave it in a authorised bay.

I would absolutely support an extension of the scheme but much tougher legislation/policing is needed on the sale and use of privat e-scooters.

It seems to me that all users of these scooters are ridden by young people who have no idea of the risks they are taking, or the potential to injure others