The chief executive of trade association TechUK has called for regulatory certainty from the government in order to increase e-scooter production in the UK, warning that delays to legislation are preventing manufacturers and operators from expanding in the UK and could even see them leave the market altogether.
In a letter to Transport Secretary Mark Harper, seen by City A.M, TechUK chief executive Julian David said: “We are now rapidly losing pace as the EU has already taken steps to legalise e-scooters and is drafting bloc-wide cargo bike regulations to come into effect from next year.”
David warned that a “split-regulatory model between the UK and EU will hinder the ability of manufacturers and operators to scale, resulting in many UK operations winding down or ceasing altogether”.
It was announced last year that a new Transport Bill will make e-scooters legal in the UK through the creation of a low-speed, zero-emission vehicle category, but this has been pushed back until late this year at the earliest.
Following that postponement, Paul Hodgins, CEO of e-scooter company Ginger, told Zag Daily that the ongoing uncertainty was stymieing the industry, saying the, “ongoing delay is doing great damage to an important future industry that we need for future jobs."
He continued: “Emerging British companies are in danger of not surviving because investment is choked off by the uncertainty. This is where future transport is going, and these delays are inadvertently ensuring the industry ecosystem and high value jobs will go elsewhere.”
> E-scooters and the law: When and where are you legally allowed to ride an electric scooter?
At the latest parliamentary exchange on the subject, Transport Minister Jesse Norman told the Transport Select Committee (TSC) that his department still needs more "non-pandemic large-scale e-scooter usage data" and more public consultation.
On what the government needed to take forward the promised legislation, Norman told the TSC: "We need to talk to people and say, ‘Look, here are insurance alternatives. What do you think? Here’s the evidence on helmets. What do you think? Here’s the evidence on safety. What do you think? We certainly don’t have a consolidated basis of consultative evidence.”
Labour MP for Exeter Ben Bradshaw responded: "I think the government wants to regulate and agrees with us on this. I don’t think you’re getting a lot of opposition, so please just get on with it."
E-scooters can be ridden in the UK when rented as part of official trials, which are taking place across the country. Trial e-scooters can be used on the roads, except motorways, and in cycle lanes, but can not be ridden on the pavement. The maximum speed for an e-scooter is 15.5mph.
Hal Stevenson, senior public affairs manager of Lime, one of London’s e-scooter trial operators along with Dott and Tier, told City A.M that the ongoing trial shows e-scooters, “can safely deliver sustainable transport options in towns and cities across the UK.
“Long term e-scooter regulation and legislation will give companies such as Lime the confidence to deliver increased investment in the UK, securing jobs and delivering accessible sustainable transport options for all.”
