MPs are urging government ” Legalise e-scooters to cut number of cars on UK roads”

The time has come for e-scooters of all kinds to be legalised in the uk.

E-scooters should be legalised in the UK, they can be seen as a low-cost and environmentally friendly alternative to driving a car. Especially in our busy cities.

The environmental benefits are huge, not to mention the cost implications for city dwellers.

The Transport Select Committee has urged the government to throw its weight behind electric scooters, this will play its part of a wider drive to wean the public off cars, particularly for short journeys.

The UK is one of the last countries in Europe where the use of e-scooters on roads is illegal: currently within the Uk they are banned anywhere except on private land.

e-scooters could become legal forms of transport on roads and cycle lanes by spring 2022.

E-scooters are now being used in the trials limited to a maximum speed of 15.5mph, users must hold a full or provisional driving licence – although this is likely to be dropped when they are legalised.  

Rental operators must hold motor insurance but the e-scooters do not need to be registered or display a registration plate and helmets are not a legal requirement.  

Trial e-scooters can be used on the road and in cycle lanes but are banned on pavements.

“Promoting active travel must remain a key policy aim for the Department for Transport. The Department’s focus should be on encouraging the use of e-scooters to replace short car journeys rather than walking and cycling.

The report added: “Should the government legalise e-scooters following the trials, users should not be required to have a driving licence either for rental schemes or private use. This would be consistent with practice in most other places around the world.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We welcome the outcome of the TSC’s report today and believe that e-scooters can offer an affordable, reliable and sustainable way to travel.