E-scooter ban must be lifted, says transport committee despite safety and health fears

E- SCOOTERS should be l egalised within 18 months, MPS have said, despite warning that they could become counterproductive for the environment and in battling obesity.

The parliamentary transport committee said the UK was the last large European economy still to have a ban on the devices, but that the Government had to ensure they did not become a replacement for walking or cycling.

The committee, which released its recommendations to ministers yesterday following an inquiry, said, if legalised, people should be able to ride e-scooters without a helmet, if they chose, and without a driver’s licence.

E-scooters are illegal to ride in any public place in the UK apart from designated zones where the Government is carrying out trials.

During the committee’s hearings, ministers said that the decision to legalise the devices was not a “done deal” and they were closely monitoring their safety performance in the trials.

In the report, MPS said riding e-scooters should become legal on roads and cycle lanes, but not on pavements.

They said there should be “robust” police enforcement to keep riders off walkways after charities raised concerns that e-scooters could become a menace for disabled or visually impaired people. People can be fined £300 or receive six points on their licence if found riding e-scooters illegally.

Huw Merriman, the chairman of the transport committee, said e-scooters had the potential to become an “ingenious way to navigate our streets”.

From July, riders aged over 16 were allowed to rent e-scooters in designated zones in Teesside as part of the Government’s trials.

MPS urged the ministers to drop some of the more stringent controls placed on riders during trials, such needing a driver’s licence, saying they could deter mass take-up of e-scooters.

They said the 15.5mph speed limit set for the trials should not be rolled out across the UK but local councils should be allowed to set limits for their areas.

The report recommended that helmet wearing should be “encouraged” but not made mandatory.

The MPS did not back other European models where riders have to have insurance in case they cause accidents, arguing that ministers should decide on any insurance needs after seeing how many accidents e-scooters caused.

The committee heard e-scooters could deliver environmental and health benefits, such as reducing road congestion. However, they could replace active forms of travel such as walking or cycling. A study by North Carolina State University found e- scooters had a higher carbon footprint than a ride on a crowded bus, due to their charging and the cost of materials used to build them.