The Transport Select Committee published the Government’s response to its October report on electric scooters this week. The report recommended that privately owned scooters should be legalised for use on roads and cycle lanes within 18 months, while prohibiting their use on footways to avoid negative impacts on pedestrians and disabled people.

Around 30 trials of rental e-scooter services are currently under way which run until next autumn. In its response to the Committee, the Department for Transport says assessing these trials to understand the positive and negative impacts of the vehicles will be key in any decision about whether and how they might be legalised.

“We are pleased the Department is putting a premium on collecting data and evidence from the trials and from other countries,” said Transport Select Committee chair Huw Merriman.

“We maintain our view that 18 months is a suitable timeframe to analyse the results of e-scooter trials and implement any decisions,” he continued. “This takes us to April 2022 and we urge the Government does not lose momentum on this.

“We are in a pandemic and the use of public transport has reduced considerably,” he pointed out, adding that encouraging people out of cars for short journeys and onto e-scooters will be worthwhile if they are shown to be environmentally sustainable.

If the vehicles are legalised, the Committee encourages Government to set targets for modal shift beyond the trial period.

This comes after the Committee’s original report emphasised it would be counterproductive if uptake of e-scooters took the place of walking and cycling. It said the Department should encourage their use to replace short car journeys.

The Government’s response agreed that the types of modal shift e-scooters induce will be a key metric of success. It also makes it clear that footway use will remain illegal if the vehicles are permitted.

A further recommendation by the Committee was that, following the trials, e-scooter users should not be required to have a driving licence for either rental or private use.  Government said it would consider all evidence from the trials before making any specific decisions on this point.

(Photograph: Neuron)