Campaigners have joined forces and written an open letter to call for e-scooters to be legalised across the UK in order to dramatically improve safety.
Nine organisations have come together to urge the UK Government to bring forward legislation that would create a new powered light vehicle class.
The move is designed to ensure e-scooters, whether rented in shared use schemes or privately owned, are subject to high safety standards.
The organisations are shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK), the Centre for London think-tank, retailer Pure Electric, manufacturer Taur, WMG at the University of Warwick, research technology organisation Cenex, campaigning climate change charity Possible, the Major Trauma Group of trauma victims and the London Cycling Campaign.
They say the current e-scooter trials, which began in 2020, have been ‘highly popular’ with over 15 million rides taking place in the UK so far.
The campaigners argue a change in the law would define e-scooters to a high standard of safety and help to lower greenhouse gas emissions from transport, as well as cutting congestion and repurposing streets away from cars.
Their letter adds that the UK is the only developed nation without legislation or a plan for it, and explains how new regulations would help to grow ‘clean jobs’.
‘We the undersigned ask the Government to bring forward legislation that would create a new powered light vehicle class in the UK,’ the letter says.
‘This would include defining e-scooters in ownership or rental to a high standard of safety as well as building in future capacity for the UK to avail itself of innovative new micromobility options on two and more wheels.
‘It would end the dangerous position we have currently, where at least hundreds of thousands of entirely unregulated e-scooters are (when ridden on public.’
