Rented electric scooters will be legal to ride on some British roads starting this Saturday, July 4th, as part of trials to be held in cities around the country, BBC News reports. Around 50 councils are reportedly interested in hosting trials, with Middlesbrough listed as one initial site. The UK government is expected to make an official announcement soon. Privately owned electric scooters will continue to remain illegal to use on public roads.
The move would mark a big step forward for electric scooters in the UK, which have been illegal to use on the country’s roads despite how common they’ve become in the US and other European countries. This is because the country’s preexisting laws treat them like traditional motor vehicles, saddling them with safety and legal regulations that are impossible for them to comply with. Laws also prohibit their use on sidewalks.
The government’s announcement is expected to include some health and safety requirements, including a 15 mph (around 24 km/h) maximum speed limit. Helmets will be recommended but not mandatory, according to BBC News.
Over the course of this year, the UK’s government has started taking steps toward legalizing electric scooters. Back in March, it announced a public consultation into their use, with a goal of starting the first scooter trials in late 2020. However, more recently, the government’s plans have accelerated as social distancing requirements have made it difficult to use public transport safely, and alongside bicycles, electric scooters are seen as an environmentally friendly alternative. Last month, the country’s Department for Transport announced that it would be bringing these scooter trials forward as part of a series of measures that also included big investments in cycling infrastructure.
Although scooters have technically been illegal to use on the roads, punishable with a £300 fine and six points on a driving license, they’ve become an increasingly common sight in cities across the UK. One scooter rental company, Bird, has even been operating a scooter rental service in London’s Olympic Park, taking advantage of laws that say electric scooters are legal to ride on private property. Tens of thousands of people have rented its scooters as part of the scheme, Bird said.
In a statement, Bird welcomed today’s report. “Shortly the whole of the U.K. will be able to benefit from having a greener and more convenient alternative to cars,” Bird’s EMEA head, Patrick Studener, said. “Decreasing car trips will reduce congestion and air pollution and make our towns and cities more liveable for everyone.”
Other scooter-sharing companies have also welcomed reports of the move. “Working together with the UK government, micromobility services like Spin can speed the recovery of public transport networks, which may temporarily fall short of meeting people’s needs due to reduced service,” scooter rental company Spin’s European head, Felix Petersen, said, “Micromobility delivers a convenient, clean and cost-effective travel choice instead of buying a car or using ride-hailing services that increase congestion and pollution.”
Another rental company, Tier, said it already has “more than 1,000” of its scooters ready to be deployed from its UK warehouse, while Voi told BBC News that it could have as many as 90,000 of its scooters distributed across the UK by the end of the year.
"electric" - Google News
June 30, 2020 at 10:14PM
https://ift.tt/3eN95re
Electric scooter rentals are reportedly coming to the UK’s roads in July - The Verge
"electric" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2yk35WT
https://ift.tt/3bbj3jq
No comments:
Post a Comment