UK Transport Committee Recommends Legalisation of e-scooters

“Finally,” say scooter owners and users… a UK Parliamentary Transport Committee has recommended that e-scooters should be legalised in the UK.

The recommendation comes with proposed design specifications for e-scooters which they say should be limited to 500w motor power, a speed limit of 15.5mph (25kph) which makes the limit the same as for e-bikes and have a power control which defaults to the off position.

They also recommend that users take appropriate safety measures such as wearing protective equipment whilst riding but they have not recommended that user training be a requirement of use.

Currently it is illegal to use e-scooters on public roads or footpaths and this is likely to remain the case for the foreseeable future. The UK government has decided that trials of e-scooters should take place before changes to legislation are made and these are currently underway in several areas…so far with mixed results.

These trials are aimed at gathering data on safety and possible collisions and will help shape a future legislative framework.

Stuart Chessell of Rideables.org commented that “We now seem to have moved from will e-scooter use be legalised to when will it be legalised, which is a very good sign. Rideables.org remain concerned however that the current focus is only on e-scooters and also on rental use models rather than private ownership.

There are several other very practical and useful types of micromobility devices available, all of which can play a useful roll in cutting pollution and getting people out of their cars. We are anxious that these do not get forgotten by the government. We urge the government to make any new legal framework inclusive and not to exclude other devices setting standards only achivable by e-scooters. Designing legislation around e-scooters only may also stifle future innovation and the use of as yet unthought of methods of personal electric transport.”

Links –

Full parliamentary committee report – https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5801/cmselect/cmtrans/255/25502.htm

E-scooters should be legalised says transport committee, BBC News article – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54380251