When will e-scooters be made legal?

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says laws concerning e-scooters could be announced in the Queen’s Speech on 10 May.

Currently it is completely legal to purchase an electric scooter, however it remains illegal to ride your private e-scooter on public roads.

Appearing before the House of Commons Transport Committee, the Transport Secretary said: “In the future I want to crack down on the illegal use on roads of non-compliant e-scooters’.

So what does non-compliant mean exactly? The answer to that question can be found in countries where privately owned e-scooters are legal. In Germany, electric scooters need to be limited to a max speed of 25 km/h (15.5 mph) and weigh no more than 20 kg, and we think that the UK could follow this model. Safety features such as wider boards, larger wheels, lights and acoustic warning systems may also be considered.

When Conservative committee member Simon Jupp raised safety concerns, Mr Shapps replied:  “We will take powers to properly regulate and then be able to decide the usage of them. 'They're a reality, they exist. If these things exist they need to be made safe, and I think the trials have been useful in gathering data and there's more data still to gather.'

Labour committee member, Ben Bradshaw, described e-scooters as a 'convenient, cheap and environmentally friendly form of transport' as he asked Mr Shapps when the DfT will 'get a move on and properly license these things'.
Mr Shapps responded: 'I shall announce it on May 10.'

Speaking after the session, AA president Edmund King said: “The Government is right to address this issue and bring in regulations rather than allowing some of our cities to be over-run like the Wild West with illegal scooters.

“Micro-mobility and e-technology can have a positive effect on movement in our cities but we must ensure that movement is safe.”
Really positive news, we are really excited about the prospect that e-scooters, a low-cost, environmentally friendly and viable form of transport could soon be legal for private use on UK roads.