Electric scooter rental trial gets underway in London
They have a maximum speed of 12.5mph
From today - Londoners will be able to rent e-scooters in some parts of the capital.
The trial - run by TfL and lasting a year- is part of a push to get more people using greener modes of transport.
Between 60 and 150 e-scooters will be available to rent in each fully participating borough initially, with riders able to move freely across these boroughs and 'ride-through' areas.
Boroughs and areas taking part from today:
Ealing
Canary Wharf
The City of London
Hammersmith and Fulham
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Richmond upon Thames
The safety standards required will go further than those set out at a national level, by requiring:
Riders must be 18 or over and have a full or provisional driving licence to rent an e-scooter.
A lower maximum speed of 12.5mph
Lights at the front and the rear of the vehicles that are always on throughout any rental
Audible warning systems that can be used without adjusting the rider's grip of the handlebar
The operators will also have other safety mechanisms in place, including 'first ride policies' where riders will need to take an e-learning safety course before they hire for the first time.
The rental e-scooters will only be allowed to be used on roads and in cycleways - not on footways.
Boroughs, Canary Wharf and the City of London will control parking locations for e-scooters, providing marked designated bays to protect against street clutter and ensure footways are kept free.
Geo-fencing technology will be a requirement for every rental e-scooter. This system is intended to ensure that e-scooters are not parked outside of these designated spaces as the hiring of a rental e-scooter can only be ended once parked in a designated bay.
There will also be mandatory response times for the operators in cases where vehicles have been improperly parked, are damaged or are causing an obstruction. Boroughs will also be able to specify 'go-slow' areas where the speed of e-scooters will be automatically limited to 8mph.