To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of its E-scooter trials as of 5 September 2022; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that (a) the police and (b) local authorities can enforce and encourage responsible E-scooter use.
Answered on
22 September 2022
The Department for Transport has in place a national monitoring and evaluation programme for the e-scooter trials. This programme is drawing from a range of data, including surveys with rental e-scooter users and residents. The findings report from this evaluation is due to be published later this year.
It is our intention to use the powers in the Transport Bill to legalise e-scooter use in the future, with robust technical requirements and clear expectations on users. A more appropriate regulatory regime for e-scooters will allow the police to enforce regulations more effectively and focus on those using e-scooters in a way that endangers themselves and other road users or pedestrians. The Bill will also include provisions that will subsequently permit local authorities to manage cycle and e-scooter rental schemes, so that they can tailor services to their local area while still ensuring a baseline national standard of service provision.
No decisions have been made on the details of the regulations for e-scooters or rental cycle and e-scooter schemes, and we will consult before any new arrangements come into force.