E-scooter enquiry launched by Commons' Transport Committee

MPs ask whether e-scooters are a pavement nuisance or a transport innovation?

E-scooters are legal across Europe (Marek Rucinski/Unsplash)

E-scooters are legal across Europe (Marek Rucinski/Unsplash)

The House of Commons Transport Committee is launching an inquiry into the safety and legal implications of electric scooters, their impact on congestion, and potential contribution to reducing the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, ahead of the Government’s obligations to reach net zero by 2050. 

The UK is the last major European economy where e-scooters are banned everywhere except on private land, where they can be used with the landowner’s permission. 

In the UK, e-scooters are classified as a ‘powered transporter’ and are covered by laws that apply to all motor vehicles, including the requirements of the Road Traffic Act 1988 on road tax and technical safety standards.

The committee’s inquiry will consider whether e-scooters should be permitted on roads, cycles lanes and/or pavements, noting that any change in the law would require primary legislation. 

The Transport Committee said this short inquiry on an emerging policy area would complement a consultation recently launched by the Department for Transport on micromobility vehicles.

Huw Merriman MP, chair of the Transport Committee, said: “Electric scooters could be a useful lever to reduce our transport carbon footprint but their environmental credentials have yet to be proven. These ‘powered transporters’ could reduce the amount of time we spend in cars and reduce congestion but we don’t want to score an own goal by encouraging the use of micromobility vehicles instead of walking and cycling.

“Road safety is a significant consideration. We must consider the dangers to other road users and especially pedestrians with visual impairments or those who use mobility aids and rely on clear pavements. Safety must also be a factor for riders of e-scooters.

“We’d like to hear from manufacturers about the design and build of e-scooters. The public may have views on whether there should be specific vehicle or user requirements. Are e-scooters something good and positive which will take traffic off the road – one part of what the Department for Transport describes as a ‘transport revolution’ Let’s see if those who respond to our inquiry agree.”
 
The committee is calling for written evidence on:

• whether the legislation for e-scooters is up to date and appropriate
• to what extent e-scooters have positive benefits, for instance relating to congestion and promoting more sustainable forms of transport
• where in the urban environment e-scooters could be used (e.g. road, pavement, cycle lanes), and how this could impact on other road users and pedestrians, including people who have visual impairments or use mobility aids;
• whether there should be advice or compulsory requirements to use specific safety equipment when using an e-scooter
• whether there should be safety and environmental regulation for the build of e-scooters, and what this might entail
• the experience of other countries where e-scooters are legal on the roads.

The closing date for written evidence is 2 June 2020. To submit evidence, visit the e-scooter inquiry page.