Electric scooter company Bird launches trial at the Olympic Park in a bid to change regulations
US electric scooter sharing company Bird has launched a trial of its service today at the Olympic Park in east London.
The use of electric scooters has boomed in the US and has begun to take off in Europe with cities such as Paris allowing their introduction.
However, they are currently not legally allowed to be used on public roads in the UK.
To be used on the road the scooters would need to be registered, licensed and insured, with the user wearing a helmet and possessing a driving licence.
The trial by Bird is part of an attempt to show that scooters are safe and could play a role in reducing congestion and pollution in UK cities such as London.
Bird’s UK head Richard Corbett told Morning Wire the trial was part of a “journey to change regulations”.
“The ultimate vision is this is first step towards that journey. We believe momentum begets momentum and if we can start trials on private land we can start to demonstrate to the government that this is a safe and viable solution to the transport problem in cities across the UK.”
The Department for Transport (DFT), which oversees the UK’s road laws, declined to comment on the trial or the DFT’s stance on electric scooters.
A spokesperson pointed to the DFT’s future of mobility call for evidence which is exploring how new technologies are changing transport, something that would include electric scooters.
Michael Hurwitz, TfL’s director of transport innovation, said: “This pilot on privately owned land will be monitored closely to ensure that the scooters are safe for both users and others in the area and to provide us with evidence on what the right policies should be for this market in the future.”