Electric scooter use rises by over 50% in London

TfL publishes new data for e-scooter rental trial

There has been a 50% year-on-year increase in demand for rental e-scooters in London. Trial published by Transport for London (TfL) reveals a strong growth in usage, high safety performance and suggests that rental e-scooters can be effectively integrated into the capital's transport network.

The trial involving operators Lime and Voi has expanded significantly over the last four years with rental e-scooters now available across more than 1,600 parking bays in the 11 participating boroughs. 

The latest data covers the period from September 2024 to September 2025 and shows:

• A 54% increase in total trips compared to the previous year, rising from 1.3 million to more than 2 million
• 95% of trips end in designated parking bays, demonstrating high compliance, and that rental e-scooters can be effectively managed to minimise street clutter
• 20% of parking bays located in areas with fewer public transport access options, supporting first and last mile connectivity
• 0.0007% of trips result in a serious injury, with zero fatalities recorded
• A 50% increase in utilisation, with average usage increasing from 1.0 to 1.5 trips per vehicle per day – increasing to 2 during the summer
• 3,000 people signed up to operators' access schemes, demonstrating uptake among disabled people and those on lower incomes.

These findings highlight how safety has always been at the forefront of the trial, supporting the Mayor of London’s Vision Zero target to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries on London's roads by 2041. All rental vehicles in London need to meet high safety standards, which go beyond national standards, including a speed limit of 12.5mph. Operators have delivered more than 200 safety awareness events since the trial began.

Will Norman, London's Walking & Cycling Commissioner, said: “The data clearly shows that the rental e-scooter trial has helped to boost sustainable travel in our city – but crucially it also shows strong rider safety and parking compliance, which we know can pose challenges and are working hard to address. I look forward to driving further progress in the next phase of this exciting trial as we continue building a greener, safer, better London for everyone.”

The findings come as TfL launches a tender to select operators for the next phase of the trial. Selecting operators to continue the trial creates further learning opportunities that can help uplift e-scooter safety standards and continue to influence legislation. Operators will be selected through a competitive procurement process, where their ability to meet safety requirements and operating standards will be assessed.

Regulation is needed to provide cities with powers to manage rental e-bike schemes, and data from the e-scooter trial so far underlines the potential value this could bring in improving services and tackling issues like parking. TfL and the Mayor have welcomed the introduction of the English Devolution Bill. If passed, the bill would enable regulations to be made to empower cities to license and regulate shared micromobility schemes, with the flexibility to include e-scooter rental schemes if e-scooters are legalised under future legislation.

Helen Sharp, TfL’s e-scooter trial lead, said: “London's e-scooter trial is proving how micromobility can be regulated in a way that works for all and with the latest data showing a 54% increase in trips, it's encouraging to see even more people enjoying the benefits of the scheme. The next phase of the trial, delivered in partnership with London Councils, participating boroughs and operators, will continue to build on this success and play a crucial role in informing future legislation and policy on this innovative mode of transport.”

The London e-scooter trial Phase 2 interim report, safety factsheet and list of the trial's safety features can be found here 

Nationwide e-scooter trials are approved by the Department for Transport (DfT), which is responsible for the legislation on e-scooter use.
www.gov.uk/guidance/e-scooter-trials-guidance-for-users#trial-areas