Transport for London (TfL) is warning passengers that e-scooters must be folded down to enter its tube and railway stations. Scooters that cannot be folded down – such as those available in the capital’s various hire schemes – are not permitted.
The London Evening Standard reports that new posters were put up to coincide with the launch of London’s e-scooter trials on June 7, informing people of the rules of using them on public transport.
The posters state:
- It is forbidden to ride e-scooters on stations or trains
- Failure to comply with this by-law is a criminal offence
- E-scooters may be carried but must be folded for the entirety of your journey
TfL chief customer officer Mark Evers said: “These information posters are there to remind customers that the use of e-scooters is prohibited on station premises and that they must be turned off and folded. If the e-scooter doesn’t fold down it cannot be taken on TfL services.
“The use of privately owned e-scooters remains illegal except for on private land, and private or rental e-scooters are not permitted for use on the tube or rail network.”
Dott, Lime and Tier are the operators selected by TfL and London Councils to conduct e-scooter trials.
The government has said it will await the outcome of these before making a decision on potentially altering privately owned vehicles’ legal status. This means such a move is unlikely before March of next year.
City AM reports that the Metropolitan Police confiscated 507 e-scooters last week.
