“These things are dangerous!”
“There should be speed limits on them!”
“I see them on the sidewalks!”
“They’re crashing into buildings!”
Of course, I’m talking about drivers and their cars, trucks, and vans. Not electric scooters.
But yes, this write-up is about electric scooters… because councillors (and residents) always seem to be raising the alarm about these “dangerous scooters,” whilst entirely ignoring the dangers of drivers and their automobiles.
A bit of context
On November 25th, 2025, London City Council came one vote away from banning e-scooters overnight. There was zero public consultation and no warning. Just seven councillors voting to take away a mobility option residents have relied on for years. Here’s what happened, who voted against you, and why their excuses simply don’t hold up, after digging… 1mm deep with… a teaspoon haha?
🎬 Watch the full (and very detailed) breakdown below, or keep reading for the highlights. 👇
The Councillors who voted to ban electric scooters
For your reference, the following seven councillors voted against extending the pilot (ie. voted to ban e-scooters):
- Shawn Lewis (Ward 2, Deputy Mayor)
- Peter Cuddy (Ward 3)
- Corrine Rahman (Ward 7)
- Susan Stevenson (Ward 4)
- Paul Van Meerbergen (Ward 10)
- Steve Lehman (Ward 8)
- Steven Hillier (Ward 14)
Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis: “It’s time for the Province to act”
What he said: The province needs to regulate insurance and licensing. The city shouldn’t keep endorsing unregulated vehicles.
What he missed: He’s a municipal councillor. Voting against the pilot doesn’t force the province to act… it just bans scooters. His own constituents have been using them legally for years. A ban would force them back into cars, worsening traffic and emptying their wallets and bank accounts.
The data: The CAA estimates car ownership costs over $10,000 per year. An e-scooter is a few hundred dollars, one-time. Ratehub.ca does a good breakdown of what the total cost of car ownership is annually, too.
Councillor Peter Cuddy: “I only heard from people who hate them”
What he said (via voicemail): “I didn’t hear from anybody who said we need to keep these scooters. I only heard from people who didn’t like them.”
What he missed: That’s not how representation works, though. Happy users are busy using their scooters to get to work, school, the grocery store, or any other reason that someone has to get around the city. Angry people have time (or make time) to call.
Your job as a city councillor is to seek out the full picture, not just answer the loudest phone. This decision shouldn’t have been this close to banning scooters outright overnight, seeing as the data in a March 17, 2025 city staff Report to Community & Protective Services Committee has all the data needed to make a well-informed decision.
The kicker: Cuddy represents Ward 3 but doesn’t live there. I do, and know just how many people get around by electric scooter.
Councillor Corrine Rahman: “follow them home”
What she said: Amongst a bunch of other interesting things said, residents were told to follow scooters home to identify riders for complaints. The pilot is overly burdensome and should end.
What she missed: That’s not an enforcement strategy. That’s an admission of defeat. Banning scooters won’t make enforcement easier, it’ll just make legal users into instant criminals while the illegal riders keep riding, like they have been all this time.
The data: London police already can’t enforce speeding and impaired driving properly. What makes you think they’ll enforce a scooter ban?
The hard data
| Category | Cars | E-Scooters |
| Fatal collisions (2023) | 22 | 0 |
| People injured (2023) | 1,947 | 51 |
| City complaints received (2023) | N/A | 13 |
| Enforcement actions taken | Minimal | Zero |
Note: 90% of observed e-scooter riders were not speeding based on posted limits, according to the city’s own report.
The hypocrisy
In April 2022, council approved the Climate Emergency Action Plan. It explicitly calls for supporting “additional mobility options to reduce trips made by single occupancy vehicles.” Search that PDF for “Area of Focus 4” for more information.
Seven councillors voted to ban one of those options anyway.
What happened next
Councillor Skylar Franke (Ward 11) proposed a six-month extension to allow for public consultation and a staff report. It passed 8-7.
If you want to watch this all happen without my video edits, click here for the recording of the London City Council – November 25, 2025 meeting.
That means the pilot is extended until May 26th, 2026. Public feedback is open until March 31st, 2026.
Have your voice heard
If you’re reading this after, email your councillor anyway. They’re hearing from people who hate scooters. They need to hear from you too.
And if you live in Ward 3? I’m your neighbour. I’m watching this closely. And I’m not going anywhere. Also thinking of running for city council in 2026, so keep an eye out because I’ll probably be knocking on your door.
If you want to arrange a meeting, send me an email! It’s the best way to get ahold of me.