E-Scooter trial

Salford Council is participating in the Department for Transport’s E-Scooter trial.

We have partnered with Lime Scooters who are running the scheme and are fully responsible for the implementation and operating costs. Lime is the world’s leading micro mobility company, which provides e-scooters in 125 cities around the world.

The scheme is being run entirely by Lime and is supported by Salford City Council, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and the University of Salford who will research ‘micro-mobility’ over short distances.

Where are the scooters?

The e-scooter trial zone now covers Salford from the city centre, including Blackfriars and Trinity wards, the University of Salford, Media City, Pendleton and up to Salford Royal Hospital. We have recently extended the trial area to include parts of Eccles and Pendleton.

How to use the scooters

Anyone who is over 18 and holds a provisional driving license can hire a scooter.

The e-scooters can be ridden the same as a pedal cycle and can use bike lanes and shared footways where cycling is permitted. The e-scooters are great for short journeys or trips, where no other forms of public transport is available.

Scooters should not be ridden on a footway or in other pedestrian areas, unless there is signage indicating it can be used by pedal cycles.

E-scooters can be found and parked in specific marked parking bays, these can be located by downloading the Lime App. To start a ride, once you have downloaded the Lime App, scan the QR code on the handlebars to begin a ride.

Once complete you must park it responsibly in a designated parking zone and take a photo to confirm the end of the ride.

How much do they cost?

Each ride costs £1 to unlock and 17p per minute to use, discounts are available for job seekers, students and some employment sectors, please contact Lime directly for more information.

E-scooters and the law

It remains illegal to use an e-scooter privately, but the government is considering use of private e-scooters on the highway network.

More information

The trial commenced in October 2020 and has been extended to 31 May 2026, following advice from DfT.

For information on the trial and details of how to use the scooters and to download the app please visit the Lime website for more details.

To report a problem with the scooters, or to raise any issues with the sooters, please contact Lime:

This page was last updated on 9 July 2024

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