to think the electric scooters available to rent in some places are great but...pay per minute is an issue

[cakeorwine]

We have them here. It's £1 to unlock (you can get subscriptions) and 25p per minute.

Which can add up if you are at traffic lights etc especially on some routes. And it could encourage people to jump lights to save money.

Surely distance would be a better way to charge. Like for taxis.

I know in London that they have a way to ensure people don't pay whilst waiting but this is not so in other places.

I use them occasionally and don't mind paying per minute. It means I don't stop and chat to people en route. I use it, get where I am going then leave it for someone else.

Otherwise I could drive it home, leave it on my account- eat tea, watch a movie and then go make another trip....

I can see that - I can also see the issue with traffic lights.
I am planning a journey to work but I know there is a set of traffic lights where I could get held up for 4 minutes - that's £1 just waiting.

The whole point is that when they aren't being used, they are available to others.

Traffic lights are annoying, but it stops people reserving them (same with rental bikes)

Whether theyvare safe for the UK Market is another issue (I used them in Germany on the cycle lane network, it was brilliant!)

Pay per minute makes sense but that rate is extortionate!!

£16 for an hour. Madness

Totally agree about the pay for minute being a major factor in riders being under stress.

If there is going to be a Pay as You Go structure, and think for some a subscription isn't workable, it needs to be more along the lines of hour or half hour.

about.tier.app/tier-pricing-model-london/

Typically, e-scooter riders are up against the clock when they use an e-scooter because they are charged by the minute. Now, by not charging riders for the time they spend in traffic, or waiting at traffic lights, TIER aims to discourage an urgent or reckless approach to riding, and prevent behaviour such as mounting a pavement to bypass traffic lights. The policy will also see TIER give riders a free minute at the beginning of each trip, so that they can put on their helmet and plan a safe route at no cost before setting off.

Should be applied elsewhere - not just London

I think if you did it by distance, people may keep for the whole day for a couple of short trips, therefore making them unavailable to others.

The idea that some would jump a traffic light and potentially kill themselves to save 50p is ridiculous sorry.

Bikes do.

What about pedestrian crossings?

That's why they introduced pricing like that in London

Also - if people are put off by the extra cost due to having to stop, then it's going to reduce customer use.

So an incentive to get people to use them.

I agree on the distance thing - maybe it should terminate the ride after a certain time of no movement.

Why do you need a free minute to put a helmet on and plan a route....surely you do that before you unlock it.

And taxis do have a time based element.....well black cabs do.

The whole point of paying by time is that you are encouraging people to complete their journey and return them.

If you charge by distance obviously people will just hang on to them. Daft idea.

Ban the lot of them full of pillocks and drugdealers funding the illegal ones.

I get that.

Why do you think they introduced no charge for waiting in London?

I used one of the lime bikes to get from London bridge to mile end and it took 15 minutes and cost a ridiculous amount of money considering you could do it in the same time frame on a boris bike for 2 quid.