Lime’s scooters will cost £1 to unlock and 16p per minute

 Lime’s scooters, which will cost £1 to unlock and 16p per minute, feel reassuringly sturdy to this newbie. Despite being slower than Mo Farah’s running pace, it would be nippy enough to take me places — and with a lot less sweat. It’s also hard not to smile while riding it.

The scooters, 200 of which are being made available initially, can be unlocked via the Lime app at marked bays on wider pavements or in converted car parking spots.

More than 40 UK towns and cities, including Birmingham and Manchester, are already taking part in a government e-scooter trial after a change in legislation last year. But the size and political complexity of the capital have delayed the pilot here.

That complexity is clear in King’s Cross. While I’m okay to do loops of a privately-owned, gentrified coal shed, which Lime has hired, I’m not allowed out onto the roads.