Bird scooters looks to change London law
App based transport is an industry that has become an increasingly essential element to our daily life. With Uber revolutionising the way we use taxis, it seems alien to imagine a world where you wouldn’t book one through an app on your phone. More recently the UK has experienced the introduction of bike rental services which utilise mobile apps for payment and availability. For those who use these bikes in major cities, they have become an essential part of the daily commute.
California based Bird feel now is the time the UK got onboard with their growing powered scooters service, which has proven very popular across the United States. The company, which operates in around 40 American cities, see London’s need for hop on and off transport as the ideal location to start the first UK service.
There is just one slight snag, it is currently illegal to ride powered scooters on public roads or pavements in the UK. In a bid to clear the snag, Bird has introduced a pilot service on London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The aim is to both introduce the product to its future customer base, and to show regulators and lawmakers that the service can be both safe and essential to the city’s development.
Bird's UK and Nordics chief Richard Corbett has set a target of 12 months to make the break through, although having recently tussled with Uber, London’s regulators might not be so forthcoming when granting the request. It could be much longer before both they and London’s residents feel comfortable adding to the moving traffic.
This trial will certainly be seen as a publicity stunt to get people behind the endeavour, and with the business recently receiving investment of more than $300m it clearly has the backing to go the distance.
