Thank you for contacting me about electric scooters.
I appreciate concerns regarding the dangerous riding of e-scooters. Although enforcement of speed limits is ultimately a matter for the police, I will ensure concerns about the behaviour of some e-scooter riders are passed to ministerial colleagues running the current trial schemes. Ministers and officials have been in regular contact with senior police officers through the NPCC as well as the Home Office in order to understand any concerns and issues and will include such considerations in their report on the trials next year.
You may be aware that it is illegal for e-scooters to be used on public roads other than as part of the Government approved e-scooter trials (and there are no such trial areas in our region). I understand that police in local areas across the country have a range of sanctions at their disposal to address illegal e-scooter use, including on the spot fines and placing points on any licence held by the user.
The trials are intended provide evidence on the true impact of electric scooters. It is important to note that, in the 32 e-scooter trials across the country, only selected rental electric scooters are being allowed to participate so that meaningful data can be gathered and a full set of findings can be reached.
The original deadline for the end of the trials was 30 November 2021 but this was extended until 30 November 2022 to take into account the slower start to trials as a result of the pandemic. This has again been extended until May 2024 in order to better understand the benefits of properly regulated, safety-tested e-scooters and their impact on public space. A full set of findings will be included in the final report.
I can assure you that the Government’s top priority is safety and current trials are helping the Government better understand the benefits of properly regulated, safety-tested e-scooters and their impact on public space. The Bill will also propose new powers for local transport authorities to shape and manage rental operations, for pedal cycles, e-cycles, and e-scooters. The intention is to create a safer, clearer, and more adaptable framework for micro-mobility in the long term. The Government will consult on any new regulations before they are introduced.
I do appreciate concerns about enforcement of the law as well as the letter of the law. In our area, Devon and Cornwall Police have run information campaigns for owners and potential owners of e-scooters to ensure that they know the law, and I very much welcome this. The police locally have also been very clear that being caught riding an e-scooter on a public path or highway locally can result in confiscation of the scooter, fines and even disqualification from driving.
Please be assured that I will continue to monitor policy around e-scooters closely and will closely scrutinise any proposals for changes to existing legislation following the conclusion of the trials.
