In a recent LinkedIn survey I asked my connections if they planned us use e-scooters as part of their strategy to get back into the office. I was pleasantly surprised by the results. 

Electric scooters have been around for a long time, but it wasn't until the advent of dockless hire scooters that they went mainstream. They have been part of the street scene in California since 2017, but the UK has been slow to embrace the technology. While hire schemes have spread to cities around the world, UK legislation has prevented their arrival here, until now.

As of 4 July 2020 it has been legal to ride e-scooters on certain UK roads, but only as part of a hire scheme. Local Authorities are currently engaging with hire companies to take part in the 12 month trial, so e-scooters could be coming to a pavement near you very soon.  

While my polling methodology probably wouldn't get past Andrew Neil, the results were positive, with half of respondents willing to use them as part of their commute. I would be interested to understand the reasons behind this: is it a response to Covid, a desire for more sustainable transport or just a general dislike of the Underground at rush hour? Equally, to those who have said no, is it safety concerns, are they currently happy with their bike or do they plan to only work from home going forwards? 

Whatever the answer, if even a fraction of commuters convert some of their journey to electric, it could be an important part of the strategy to get back into our offices and make commutes more sustainable. 

Results:

With hired e-scooters being made road legal, will you be using them as part of your commute?

Absolute:  28%  5 votes

Some of the way:  22%  4 votes

No:  50%  9 votes