Legalization of e-scooters in the UK as an alternative to short car trips, say MPs | Policy

Government deputies called for legalization E-scooters in the UK And advertise it to motorists as a greener alternative to short trips.

The Cross-Party Public Transportation Selection Committee said that motorcycles, And it just is Legal to use In limited regional experiencesIt should be allowed on British roads. They also called for strict enforcement to prevent people from using them on sidewalks, which they said was dangerous and anti-social, and a barrier for pedestrians and people with disabilities.

E-scooters are permitted in most European countries but are illegal on public roads in the UK despite their presence Selling and using widely. Government-backed trials, limited to shared public rental schemes, began in the summer in Middlesbrough, followed by other pilots in the West Midlands, Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire.

The committee recommended that privately-owned e-scooters should be allowed as well, and the administration requested that Transportation To encourage use as an alternative to short car trips. However, she cautioned that it would be pointless if people switched to more active and healthier forms of travel like cycling and walking.

Conservative MP Huo Merriman, who chairs the committee, said: “The UK remains the last major European economy as the use of e-scooters is still prohibited anywhere except for private land and their use on UK roads is currently illegal.

“E-scooters have the potential to become an exciting and innovative way to get around our streets and get from one place to another. If that gets people out of the car, which reduces congestion and does outdoor sports, that would be better.”

British experiences, run by a group of companies vying for a share of the growing sector, do not indicate that such a move would be straightforward. Start-up across Teesside has been slowed after widespread complaints of e-scooters getting stuck in malls and along a dual road. The Coventry scheme was discontinued after just five days last month due to misuse of vehicles. It was announced on Wednesday that Liverpool would be the next city to run a test scheme.

The commission said that the requirement to obtain a driver’s license, a requirement to participate in trials, should be dropped and that local authorities be allowed to set maximum speeds. The models in the UK trials are able to achieve a top speed of 15.5 mph.

The AA supported the call to legalize e-scooters but said there should be a national speed limit. The safer option, she said, is for vehicles to use bike lanes and for users to be trained before going on public highways.

The The dangers of electronic scooters The spotlight was again highlighted last week when a second contestant in the UK was reported dead in a coroner’s investigation Barry Howes, 57, died after a crash in Chatham, Kent, when using an e-scooter on a steep hill in July.