E-scooters are coming to Putney this summer, Wandsworth Council has announced.
The council is joining an expanded trial of the rental vehicles already in use in 10 London boroughs and at the same time has proposed over 50 dedicated parking bays for e-scooters as well as rental e-bikes.
Under the plan, revealed Friday, the council has given specific locations for 57 Putney sites (141 across Wandsworth) and given residents a month to provide their views.
The idea behind the proposal is that the bays will become the only place where e-scooters and e-bikes are allowed to be parked in busy town centres – with rental companies and users fined if they are parked elsewhere – with a more relaxed approach taken in less busy areas.
That approach comes in response to complaints and frustration during the initial trials in other boroughs at the number of bikes and scooters left on pavements or footpaths which then get in people’s way. The council is proposing an initial phase that will be expanded further if they prove popular.
The plans have already provoked some scepticism and opposition.
“I am going to be strongly contesting it because I want to be able to park my car in front of my camera!” one Putney resident, Natasha Twine, said of the proposed parking bay on Fanthorpe Street close to the river and Putney Lower Common in Thamesfield Ward. “The car got broken into twice last year before I had the camera.”
Other residents feel similar, pointing out that there is already reduced parking in many of the locations proposed by the council. While others have pointed out that many Putney streets and pavements are in a state of disrepair and should be dealt with first, before new parking bays in put in place. Some wish to propose alternative sites – something that the council consultation doesn’t allow for.
The e-scooter programme is overseen by Transport for London (TfL) and involves three companies: Lime, Dott and Voi. It is already in place in Lambeth and Richmond, either side of Wandsworth. By joining the scheme, riders will be able to rent an e-bike or e-scooter in Wandsworth and drop it off in another borough, or rent one in another borough and drop it off near their home, opening the door to longer rides across London.
Unlike the Santander rental bicycle scheme where there are designated docking stations dotted across London, e-bike companies allow users to leave their bikes anywhere, with users locating them through their app. That approach has led to users leaving them wherever they get off, causing an obstacle and occasional hazard to others.
The consultation is open until 26 April. You can provide your views here.
See where the proposed parking bays are in Wandsworth in the map below. Alternatively, see the full list by street here.
