I recently sat in on a virtual roundtable with e-scooter hire provider Spin. It was an interesting debate and raised a few points that aren’t always considered when it comes to e-scooters.
Yes, they’re often branded a ‘menace’, but it seems that every other European country has embraced them with ease, either writing new laws or changing existing ones. Yet as always, the UK languishes behind a rapidly changing situation, this time by relying on legislation from 1835.
It’s clear that climate change is a real and evident threat across the globe, and if electric scooters can help replace even a few car journeys a week, that’s got to be a benefit.
Even David Walker, who is head of leisure & road safety at RoSPA, had incredibly positive things to say when it came to the use of e-scooters, both hire and private. The viewpoint of RoSPA is that if you can get X number of cars off the roads, you can cut the chances of a fatal accident happening.
Accidents in cars are going to be far more lethal than accidents on an e-scooter – yes, we’ve heard about deaths where e-scooter riders have come into contact with cars and lorries on roads, but that’s no worse than if they’d have been on a bicycle.
Another speaker, Tracey Vickers, who heads up sustainable transport at Essex County Council, said that e-scooters are part of their blended transport plan, where they’re as much a part of the infrastructure as car, bus and rail.
Scooters are seen as a link between modes of transport, as well as replacing traditional ways to get around. Just that day, she used an e-scooter to meet a friend in town rather than drive and have the hassle of parking.
One of the main issues for Peter Blackman, who is chair of the Essex e-scooter trials stakeholder group (that rolls off the tongue), was that e-scooters are too quiet. For the visually impaired, it’s hard to hear one coming until they’re right on them, which could be pretty frightening.
I pointed out that it’s no different to a bicycle and that all e-scooters do have a bell that you can ring to create audible attention – it’s up to the user to be responsible and do so.
Peter went on to say that all modes of transport that are potentially near pedestrians should make some sort of noise when they’re in motion – I can’t see that ever happening, and bicycles have been riding around our streets for decades without them.
The future of e-scooters in the UK
The current e-scooter trials are set to continue, with the majority of them being extended. Allegedly, the UK government will be deciding at some point next year around the legality of privately owned scooters with legislation set to be in place by 2023.
My personal view is that there is always a lot of hysteria when something new is introduced to this country; instead of getting on with it and weighing up the benefits, it’s often demonised. E-scooters are no different to bicycles or e-bikes; I could see the same scaremongering happening if someone had just invented the bicycle and they were on our roads, pavement and redways for the very first time.
Cost also has to be in favour of rental scooters, twice I’ve used them instead of getting a taxi. But when I have booked a taxi for the same journey, the cost is comparable. Granted, e-scooter companies need to make money, but when the average person can sit in comfort and endlessly scroll through their phone for 15 minutes while they’re driven to their destination, they’re unlikely to pay the same amount to ride on an e-scooter.
Maybe they will now and then for the novelty value, but it has to surpass that if we want them to be a real alternative.
Private ownership needs to be legalised to help cut the UK’s carbon emissions, even a few e-scooter rides a week instead of commuting by car would help cut your individual emissions – and fuel costs.
There’s going to have to be different approaches depending on the area. For example, while e-scooters work fine for pavements in some towns and cities, they’ll have to be kept to roads and cycle lanes in others. Likewise, with a public/rental mix, you’d cut down on the number of rental scooters which are known to litter paths, becoming a ‘nuisance’ for some.
We’ll keep you updated on the rise of e-scooters, as they’re likely going to form a large part of future transport in the UK; we’re in the early stages and taking baby steps to try and reorient the way we’re all used to travelling.
