6 ms·

Electric scooters are illegal in UK?

dijit 4y ago
Not legal on public roads or pavements. UK is almost as bad as the US when it comes to car-centricism, or it was historically. https://www.halfords.com/cycling/advice/are-electric-scooters-legal.html https://www.halfords.com/cycling/advice/are-electric-scooter...
- kragen 4y ago
  "Pavements" means "sidewalks"?
  - loeg 4y ago
    Yeah.
switch007 4y ago
On various level, yes “ Currently, there isn't a specific law for e-scooters so they are recognised as "powered transporters" - falling under the same laws and regulations as motor vehicles, and subject to all the same legal requirements - MOT, tax, licensing and specific construction. However, because e-scooters don't always have visible rear red lights, number plates or signalling ability, they can't be used legally on roads. Private e-scooters can only be used on private land and not on public roads, cycle lanes or pavements. The only e-scooters that can be used on public roads are those that are rented as part of government-backed trials. E-scooter trial in London, June 2021 IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES Do I need a driving licence? Yes. To use an e-scooter from an official trial, you need to have category Q entitlement on your driving licence.” https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48106617 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48106617
lrem 4y ago
A lot of places have this problem. Pavements are for pedestrians. Roads are for roadworthy vehicles. It’s maybe legal to go on bike paths. But the network of those might go from nowhere to nowhere.
- alistairSH 4y ago
  As a cyclist, I'd happily take e-scooters in the bike lane if it meant a protected network of lanes that spanned my area (like Amsterdam and similar). The current mix of bikes and scooters in the road, on the sidewalk, in the bike lanes (usually not protected) is a nightmare in busier areas.
  - ryukafalz 4y ago
    Agreed. Bikes and e-scooters move at around the same speed, if we had a useful network of protected lanes where I am then both would be attractive options.
_Wintermute 4y ago
It's ridiculous, in London you can hire one and ride that around, but you can't ride your own. You also need a driving license. Completely unfounded but I think there is a lot of pressure being applied by the taxi groups to try and discourage them.
- lbriner 4y ago
  I don't think it's that ridiculous that when you first introduce something so potentially dangerous and disruptive that you require a driving licence demonstrating at least a little about the rules of the road, as well as experience in traffic and also that you only permit scooters that have been built to a known standard and that are actively maintained and easier to ensure that they meet the rules on legal max speeds etc. What is the alternative? Tonnes of youngsters weaving in and out of traffic on their £5 knock-off import?
  - _Wintermute 4y ago
    None of this seems to be an issue with hire ebikes. Also the license requirement isn't about competency on the roads, it can be a provisional license without a single driving lesson.

Not legal on public roads or pavements. UK is almost as bad as the US when it comes to car-centricism, or it was historically. https://www.halfords.com/cycling/advice/are-electric-scooters-legal.html https://www.halfords.com/cycling/advice/are-electric-scooter...

kragen 4y ago
"Pavements" means "sidewalks"?
- loeg 4y ago
  Yeah.

switch007 4y ago

On various level, yes “ Currently, there isn't a specific law for e-scooters so they are recognised as "powered transporters" - falling under the same laws and regulations as motor vehicles, and subject to all the same legal requirements - MOT, tax, licensing and specific construction. However, because e-scooters don't always have visible rear red lights, number plates or signalling ability, they can't be used legally on roads. Private e-scooters can only be used on private land and not on public roads, cycle lanes or pavements. The only e-scooters that can be used on public roads are those that are rented as part of government-backed trials. E-scooter trial in London, June 2021 IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES Do I need a driving licence? Yes. To use an e-scooter from an official trial, you need to have category Q entitlement on your driving licence.” https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48106617 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48106617

lrem 4y ago

A lot of places have this problem. Pavements are for pedestrians. Roads are for roadworthy vehicles. It’s maybe legal to go on bike paths. But the network of those might go from nowhere to nowhere.

alistairSH 4y ago
As a cyclist, I'd happily take e-scooters in the bike lane if it meant a protected network of lanes that spanned my area (like Amsterdam and similar). The current mix of bikes and scooters in the road, on the sidewalk, in the bike lanes (usually not protected) is a nightmare in busier areas.
- ryukafalz 4y ago
  Agreed. Bikes and e-scooters move at around the same speed, if we had a useful network of protected lanes where I am then both would be attractive options.

_Wintermute 4y ago

It's ridiculous, in London you can hire one and ride that around, but you can't ride your own. You also need a driving license. Completely unfounded but I think there is a lot of pressure being applied by the taxi groups to try and discourage them.

lbriner 4y ago
I don't think it's that ridiculous that when you first introduce something so potentially dangerous and disruptive that you require a driving licence demonstrating at least a little about the rules of the road, as well as experience in traffic and also that you only permit scooters that have been built to a known standard and that are actively maintained and easier to ensure that they meet the rules on legal max speeds etc. What is the alternative? Tonnes of youngsters weaving in and out of traffic on their £5 knock-off import?
- _Wintermute 4y ago
  None of this seems to be an issue with hire ebikes. Also the license requirement isn't about competency on the roads, it can be a provisional license without a single driving lesson.