Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Paragraph: 50
It is unfortunate that, due to a legal technicality, users of rental e-scooters in the...
Conclusion
It is unfortunate that, due to a legal technicality, users of rental e-scooters in the Government’s trials are required to have a driving licence. People without driving licences ought to be a key target demographic for the rental schemes, yet they are excluded. We believe the rental schemes should be accessible to the widest possible groups of people, particularly given the context of the pandemic. We are also concerned that the driving licence requirement will result in the trials not being as representative as they should have been.
Paragraph Reference:
50
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The government partly agrees with this recommendation. The requirement for users of e-scooters to hold some form of driving licence is as a result of existing primary legislation related to ‘motor vehicles’, which trial e-scooters remain categorised as. However, given the lack of reliable evidence, globally, on the safety of e-scooters and with much still to learn about the factors which can positively influence the safety of both e-scooter users and non-users alike, the Government will consider all the evidence from trials before making any specific decisions on this matter, should e-scooters be legalised in the long run.