Select Committee · Transport Committee

E-scooters

Status: Closed Opened: 21 Apr 2020 Closed: 15 Jan 2021 21 recommendations 6 conclusions 1 report

E-scooters: pavement nuisance or transport innovation? The Transport Committee is launching an inquiry to explore the safety and legal implications of electric scooters, their impact on congestion, and potential contribution to reducing the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, ahead of the Government’s obligations to reach net zero by 2050. The Transport Committee’s short inquiry on this … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report: E-scooters: pavement nuisance or transport in… HC 255 2 Oct 2020 27 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
9 Conclusion Third Report: E-scooters: pavement nuis… Acknowledged

There are mixed views by stakeholders on whether, in the longer-term, there should be a...

There are mixed views by stakeholders on whether, in the longer-term, there should be a mandatory requirement for e-scooter riders to have insurance, either for rental schemes or for privately owned vehicles. In our view, an e-scooter is more akin to a bike or an e-bike, rather than a moped, … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government partly agrees, acknowledging mixed stakeholder views on mandatory e-scooter insurance and committing to consider all available evidence, including trial outcomes, before making a firm policy decision, while aiming to avoid unnecessary burdens.
Read full response →
Department for Transport
18 Conclusion Third Report: E-scooters: pavement nuis… Acknowledged

Rental e-scooters left on pavements as ‘street clutter’ can cause a hazard for pedestrians, particularly...

Rental e-scooters left on pavements as ‘street clutter’ can cause a hazard for pedestrians, particularly people with visual impairments and those with limited mobility. We do not want to see British towns and cities develop the dangerous and unsightly street clutter problems with e-scooters, experienced in some other European cities. … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's concern about street clutter from e-scooters and notes that various operational approaches are being encouraged in trials to understand implications and inform future regulatory frameworks.
Read full response →
Department for Transport
20 Conclusion Third Report: E-scooters: pavement nuis… Acknowledged

E-scooters have the potential to improve local air quality and help meet the Government’s carbon...

E-scooters have the potential to improve local air quality and help meet the Government’s carbon emission targets, particularly if they replace car journeys. However, we note there are valid environmental concerns relating to the lifetime of the scooters and the processes used to charge their batteries. It is encouraging that … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government partly agrees with the environmental observations, noting the potential for e-scooters to reduce emissions and acknowledging concerns about scooter lifetime and charging processes. They state that environmental impacts are being monitored as a key component of the cost benefit analysis for the trials.
Read full response →
Department for Transport

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions
Date Witnesses
15 Jul 2020 Alan Clarke · Lime, Anthony Ferguson · Department for Transport, Emma Silver · Bird, Rachel Maclean MP · Department for Transport, Richard Corbett · Voi View ↗
1 Jul 2020 Eleanor Southwood · Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), Graeme Sherriff · University of Salford, Jillian Anable · University of Leeds, Lorna Lee · Automobile Association, Phillip Darnton OBE · Bicycle Association, Rachel Lee · Living Streets View ↗

Who gave evidence

11 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Alan Clarke · Director of Policy, UK, Ireland & Nordics Lime 1
Anthony Ferguson · Deputy Director for Traffic and Technology Department for Transport 1
Eleanor Southwood · Chair Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) 1
Emma Silver · Head of Public Policy for Northern Europe & Asia … Bird 1
Graeme Sherriff · Research Fellow University of Salford 1
Jillian Anable · Chair in Transport & Energy University of Leeds 1
Lorna Lee · Campaigns Manager Automobile Association 1
Phillip Darnton OBE · Director Bicycle Association 1
Rachel Lee · Policy & Research Manager Living Streets 1
Rachel Maclean MP · Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department for Transport 1
Richard Corbett · Regional General Manager-UK, Ireland and Benelux Voi 1

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
13 Apr 2021 Correspondence from Rachel Maclean MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, …