Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said today that the UK government intends to legislate on e-scooters.
Haigh told the Transport Select Committee that introducing regulations for e-scooters is “clearly required”.
It is currently illegal to ride private e-scooters on roads or pavements in the UK.
She added that the vehicles could be a “really effective part of an integrated transport strategy” and that uncertainty about their legal status had gone on for too long.
Zag spoke with Oscar Morgan, CEO of Bristol-based e-scooter start-up Bo, who said he was “delighted” to see leadership and direction from the Minister on e-scooters.
“For too long the UK has fallen behind the EU and rest of the world on this simple issue,” he said. “E-scooters give us the opportunity to introduce low cost, quiet, zero emission transport to cities – not in 2030, or 2040: today.
“Sensible regulation will ensure that cheap, unsafe e-scooters from overseas brands lose dominance over the market, and that UK consumers can start to invest in high quality, reliable UK vehicles which will add real freedom to their lives.”
Margaret Winchcomb, Deputy Executive Director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) echoed Morgan’s comments, stating that regulating private e-scooters allows “for safety to be prioritised at source”.
“It’s essential that any legislation gets to the nub of the matter and sets clear standards which are built into the vehicles. Over two years ago PACTS published recommendations for safe construction and use of e-scooters. Speed and wheel size influence the stability, and with that the severity of injury to riders and other road users. E-scooters are not just like cycles: riders fall in a different way and should wear helmets.”
When the Select Committee pushed for a timeline, Ms Haigh replied: “We’ve not got parliamentary time in this session or a relevant Bill that could be used to regulate e-scooters, but we will look to legislate, absolutely.”
Trials of rental e-scooters have been ongoing in UK towns and cities since July 2020.
Phil Ellis, CEO and Co-founder of micromobility rental firm Beryl, said: “We know, from speaking to our riders, that people love the fun, convenience and flexibility of e-scooters and that is why they are so well used, especially in Bournemouth and Poole and Norwich, which are two of the most popular UK trial schemes. We just need the government to introduce the correct legislation to make them more accessible, which would have a chain effect boosting their popularity, getting more people out of their cars and amplifying calls for better infrastructure.”
