Question and Answer Session: Transport for London (Supplementary) [10]

Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London):  Yes.  Share mobility not only helps in relation to reducing congestion, but there are also other additional benefits as well.  To get to public transport, you have to walk to your station, whether it is 400 metres or more, so that is active travel.  Cycling is clearly active travel, as, indeed, is walking.  At the moment, we are on 62 percent, the target is 80 percent of walking, cycling and public transport.  That sort of innovation is good, car hire schemes, e-scooter hire schemes, walking to the bay where you hire your e-scooter, walking from the bay where you have dropped off your e-scooter, which is all part of the model we are working towards.  We have to be innovative, because we can encourage people to own a car less because they have a car available, they can hire, but also walking to the hire place leads to activity.  There is a whole host of issues in relation to the National Health Service (NHS), obesity and so forth.

Anne Clarke AM:  It also means there are fewer cars on our road, easing congestion.  About 14 months ago, the Government announced in the Transport Bill in the Queen’s speech, that they would grant powers to TfL to regulate e-bikes.  What problems is the delay to this legislation having in London?

Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London):  I may bring in the Commissioner with your permission in relation to this.  One of the issues about this is the Government has now delayed regulation, and they have extended the trail pilot phase of the e-scooters.  We now have to procure new contracts with these private companies, in the meantime, they have been extended, so there are challenges in relation to the lack of regulation of e-scooters and bikes.  There is a separate challenge in relation to the separate Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) councils have with the hire bikes, big concerns raised particularly for those who are visually impaired, mums and dads with buggies, in relation to the clutter on our pavements.  Some councils have been really innovative, like Wandsworth Council in relation to taking action against these companies, but it is a challenge.  Again, lack of regulation, we have very little locus in this area.  I will bring in the Commissioner, with your permission, in relation to the challenges.

Andy Lord (Commissioner of Transport for London):  I agree, I think there is an opportunity, and I welcome London Councils who are collectively looking at this issue.  The independent cycle hire companies have a real opportunity in London, but at the moment it is not delivering the best for our city.  TfL working with London Councils and working with those companies, if we can get some better organisation and collaboration to avoid the issues that frustrate many people around where bikes get left, particularly for those people who have disabilities or families.  There is an opportunity there, and I am keen to get involved with London Councils and with those organisations, but we do need the Government and Department for Transport (DfT) to give some clarity on the regulation going forward.  On e-scooters, we are running the trial, which is proving quite successful as a number of trials across the country, but again, we need DfT to come to a conclusion as to the way forward.  I would hope that TfL would remain the overall coordinator of all of this going forward.

Anne Clarke AM:  Yes, thank you for that.  Clearly, the Government working with TfL and London Councils is the way forward on this.  I am wondering, did you have any sort of timescale, or has the Government given any indication on when they might be able to come to the table with some legislation around this?

Andy Lord (Commissioner of Transport for London):  I am not aware of any timescale, but I will doublecheck, and if there is some, we will write to you post-Committee, but I am not aware of any.

Anne Clarke AM:  OK, that is helpful, thank you.  Thank you, Chair.