Ministers ‘will not rush’ into lifting ban on e-scooters

LEGALISING e-scooters on UK roads is not a “done deal”, a transport minister has warned, as she refused to rule out riders needing driving licences.

Rachel Maclean, the future of transport minister, said the Government did not want to “rush into something that we regret later” by giving the green light for the gadgets, which are at present banned on roads and pavements.

However, she told MPS on the transport committee that e-scooters could help entice people out of their cars for short journeys, or present an attractive option for female commuters who did not want to cycle while wearing a dress or skirt.

Last week, the Government launched the first e-scooter trial, in Middlesbrough, where people can now legally rent and ride them on roads and cycle lanes in designated areas.

Only people over the age of 16 with a full or provisional driving licence will be able to hire the e-scooters, which have a speed limit of 15.5mph.

Ms Maclean warned that no final decision had been made on allowing escooters permanently on UK roads. “I want to stress to the committee that it is not a done deal, we need to consider carefully whether legalising e-scooters is right for this country,” she said.

The driving licence requirement was necessary for the trial as e-scooters are classed in law as road vehicles.

Asked if the requirement could change if the devices are legalised in the future, the minister said the Government had “a genuinely open mind”.

MPS heard that around 58 per cent of car journeys in the UK are for a distance of less than five miles and 24 per cent less than two miles.

“We do really think there would be a significant benefit of providing this alternative method for people to make these short journeys,” Ms Maclean said.

Pressed on why the Government had allowed relatively powerful e-scooters as part of the trial, Ms Maclean said the devices needed to reach higher powers to tackle hills and “carry heavier users”.