The Parliamentary Advisory Council on Transport Safety and the Regulation of Electric Scooters
The Uncertain Future of the Legislation of Private Electric Scooters in the UK
The Parliamentary Advisory Council on Transport Safety (PACTS) has expressed its doubts about the enactment of legislation governing private electric scooters in the UK by 2024, emphasizing safety as the main priority.
This body, which provides advice to members of both Houses of the British Parliament on safety in air, rail, and road transport, has indicated that it has been made clear that there would be insufficient parliamentary time to consult on this subject.
Although the rental of electric scooters is permitted within the framework of official trials, the use of private electric scooters on public roads remains illegal in the UK.
In 2022, the government had announced that these vehicles would be legalized by creating a category of low-speed and zero-emission vehicles, but this project has been repeatedly postponed, despite calls from various associations, electric scooter operators, and retailers for the government to expedite the legislation.
Regulation of Electric Scooters and Bicycles: Major Reform Expected
The Labour party has also stated that the government is shirking its responsibility to regulate electric bikes and scooters, this after the House of Commons recently approved the law on pedicabs (Pedicabs (London) Bill), which will pave the way for the regulation of these vehicles. Simon Lightwood, shadow transport minister, told MPs that measures should have been introduced as part of a much broader transport bill.
Guy Opperman, the Minister of Transport, described the regulation of electric scooters and bicycles as ‘complex’.
He expressed his wish to see adequate regulation put in place, but recognized the necessity to find the right form of regulation to allow for its implementation.
Extended Rental Trials and Safety Issues
The government has recently announced an extension of the current rental trials for electric scooters until May 2026, which will allow it to continue to assess their use and impacts on safety.
However, according to PACTS, this measure will not help to solve the problem of the more than one million private electric scooters that are clearly being used illegally on public roads.
PACTS insists that the Department for Transport, along with other departments, should act to combat the dangerous and illegal use of private electric scooters, by disseminating clear information to the public, taking action against retailers not providing adequate information to customers, and supporting police actions for law enforcement.
PACTS emphasizes that, in accordance with the statements of the former minister, Baroness Vere, in May 2022, stipulating that ‘safety is also at the heart of our plans’, a new law is necessary to create a specific regulatory framework for smaller, lighter, and zero-emission vehicles as part of the new low-speed and zero-emission vehicle category.
