Legalise it: e-scooters could help to reduce London car use, says study
A London think tank is calling on the government to legalise e-scooters in a bid to make transport in the Capital greener.
A report by the Centre for London wants e-scooters, which produce 34 per cent less carbon emissions than cars and far less air pollution, to be introduced alongside a raft of new legislation to make them safe to use and accessible to all. The study found that two thirds of car trips in London could instead be made by micromobility vehicles, like e-scooters and e-bikes, in 20 minutes or less.
Josh Cottell, Research Manager, Centre for London said, “the shift to these emerging vehicles is already happening but we need the government to catch up and introduce policies which encourage safe ridership of e-scooters and e-bikes on our streets and ensures anyone who wants to use these vehicles is able to do so.
Under UK law it is illegal to use an e-scooter in public unless it is rented as part of a recognised trial scheme.
Despite this barrier e-scooter and e-bike use is on the rise with more than 4m trips made on shared e-scooters in the first 11 months of UK trials while the number of e-bikes sold in the Uk increased by 70 per cent between 2019 and 2020.
Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said, “we recognise the opportunities presented by micromobility and through our e-scooter trial and ongoing work, we are looking at both the long-term role they could play in a green and sustainable future for the capital, as well as the role they can play in avoiding a car-led recovery from the pandemic.”
Norman cited “safety” as a top priority for the trial. E-scooters were described as having features which are “inherently unsafe,” by the influential Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety which advises MPs and Lords.
Read more: Lime: The e-scooter firm looking to make the car obsolete