E-Scooters In London: 3 Rental Services To Get From A To B
TfL and London councils initially collaborated on a year-long of rental e-scooters across ten London boroughs back in June 2021, but this has now been extended until at least Autumn 2023.
The boroughs in question where you can hop aboard these nifty little things are Camden[1], the City of London, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth (north of the borough only, Richmond-upon-Thames, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Westminster too.
They’ve got strict safety measures, meaning that they are limited to a speed of 12.5mph and have lights that are always on throughout any period of rental. We’d also recommend wearing a helmet too you know – in case you’re a bit of a klutz like this author. Please also note that you’ll only be permitted to ride them on roads and cycleways – pavements will be completely off limits – and you’ll also need to undergo a quick safety demonstration before you get on your way.
So with all that admin taken care of, if you’re looking to whizz your way across town on one of these fun methods of flight, then here’s the three companies that provide e-scooters in London:
Yep – we’ve all seen these speeding about town right? I mean, you can’t exactly miss their lime green handlebars now can you? Partnered with the behemoth that is Uber – who also have control of the waterways too and the e-bikes market too – Lime offer sustainable Gen4 e-scooters, which are designed to be as sustainable as possible and spacious to boot too.[2]
To get one, all you’ll have to do is download the app, locate where the nearest one is via the map shown on the screen, head to it and away you go! It costs a quid to start each e-scooter journey, with a 15p/min fee thereafter. It’s really as simple as that!
With an ethos to ‘be a key player in the fight against air pollution and global warming’, DOTT is always a great choice if you’re looking to find an e-scooter in London.
They achieved complete carbon neutrality back in 2019, and have teams of dedicated, trained professionals who constantly clean and maintain their fleet of e-scooters and e-bikes too. The e-scooters themselves are not only well-maintained but sturdy too – evident in the ten-inch wheels on board which provide more than reliable road grip—plus a triple brake system which means you can stop within mere seconds!
It’s easy to ‘spot a dott’ given their blue and red markings, but if you can’t spot one, you can actually ‘ring’ for one via the app between the hours of 6am to 10pm. After all, you don’t want to wake people up from their slumber now do you…
Fully climate neutral – and the first bike and e-scooter hire service in London to do so – TIER truly are the big dogs in the travel sustainability movement. Operating e-bikes, e-scooters and even e-mopeds, they’re a leading provider of micro-mobility, and are focused on reducing carbon emissions as best as they can all around the world.
To make use of their services, all you need to do is download the app and sign up, then you can locate the e-scooter that’s closest to you. After scanning the QR code, you can then unlock the scooter, then boom – you’re ready to go!
You can then opt to park in a designated spot or can just leave the e-scooter on the pavement away from passers-by. Click ‘end ride’ in the app, then that’s you done! It’s really as simple as that. As with other providers listed above, it costs a quid to unlock the scooter then around 15p per minute after that.
So there you have it – a roundup of the best places to get your e-scooters in London. So when the sun’s shining and you’re not wanting to hop on the sweatbox that is the tube during the Summer months, then you know where to go!
References
- ^ Camden (secretldn.com)
- ^ have control of the waterways too (secretldn.com)