Scoot over?

Beloved by commuters, students, and anyone else who enjoys traversing town or city without expending huge amounts of emissions or money, e-scooters are lauded for being a more sustainable option for urban mobility.

However, these divisive two-wheeled devices are also vehemently reviled by those who feel they pose a substantial risk, not only to the riders, but pedestrians and road users who have safety concerns.

But love them or loathe them, e-scooters are likely to stay following the late Queen’s Speech in May.

As it currently stands, it is illegal to ride a private e-scooter anywhere other than private land. The only e-scooters permitted on roads are those that are part of rental trials, seen in major cities countrywide. But, as part of a planned new Transport Bill, the government is set to create a new low-speed, lightweight, zero-emission category of vehicles and the first approved vehicle type will be e-scooters.

“Pretty much everyone in transport wants to move towards an efficient transport system that’s good for climate change, air pollution and street space, and e-scooters provide a lower impact transport option,” said Lorna Stevenson, a third year PhD student at the University of Westminster specialising in e-scooter research.

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