Mind the gap: Lime reports 162% increase in e-bike rides from closed London Underground station
A 162% increase in e-bike rides from Bank station, coupled with a 136% increase at London Bridge station: These eye widening numbers have been recorded by e-mobility provider Lime, as a direct result of London Underground’s Northern Line closure for improvement works.
For context, Transport for London (TFL) reports that, “Bank and Monument (Northern Line) stations see a combined total of more than 120 million passengers in a normal year.”
Stepping into this gap in the formal transport network, Lime has seen a 113% increase in e-bike rides and 49% increase in e-scooter rides started at each station affected by the Northern Line closure.
Given the ongoing funding challenges faced by TFL, and bus services across the UK, many have been asking the increasingly pointed question; what happens when you take sizable elements of the formal transport network out of service?
On the massive shift in commuter transport behaviour Alan Clarke, Senior Director of Policy at Lime UK&I commented; “… e-bikes and e-scooters offer a great complement to public transport and it’s great news that this new data shows that many commuters are opting for an active and sustainable travel choice whilst disruption continues.”
For those with ongoing reservations about a future which embraces curb protected cycle lanes, micro-mobility, and changes to highway code – essential for addressing environmental and road user safety issues – Lime UK user data clearly highlights the critical importance of integrating informal and formal transport solutions, mapped into future development of our built environment.
Legalising and regulating e-scooters, beyond those provided via rental trials, took another, indirect, step forward this week when the Department for Transport (DoT) announcing that UK e-scooters will, as is already the case in some European countries, be required to display a Unique Identifying Number (UIN) from April 1st 2022. Formalising of requirements can only bode well for future private use.
Whilst progress remains significantly slower than in some European countries, there are definitely encouraging signs that micromobility in the UK is moving up a gear.
