Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has hinted that e-scooters could be legalised as fresh concerns are aired about unregulating them. The Major Trauma Group has called for the Government to crackdown on unregulated vehicles by legalising all e-scooters and subjecting them to the highest safety requirements.
In Nottingham, e-scooters are only legal using the Link scooters which remain a part of the Nottingham City Council trial being implemented across the city. Now, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has admitted private scooters - which are currently illegal on public roads - could be allowed in the future.
The Transport Secretary said: "We will take powers to properly regulate and then be able to decide the usage of them. They're a reality, they exist. If these things exist they need to be made safe, and I think the trials have been useful in gathering data and there's more data still to gather." He added that he will announce whether to license the scooters on May 10.
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A mass Freedom of Information request to all NHS Ambulance Trusts showed 713 e-scooter-related accidents were attended by NHS ambulance vehicles during 2021, which is a huge leap from the previous year’s figure of 392. The data also reveals the number of e-scooter accident patients being referred to A&E has increased by 40% between 2020 and 2021, with 173 patients treated at the scene of an accident being taken to their local A&E facility during 2021, compared with just 124 during 2020.
Trevor Sterling, Chair of the Major Trauma Group said: “With rumours that the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps may legalise private e-scooters for use on roads during this year’s Queen’s Speech on May 10, and with e-scooters set to continue increasing in popularity this year, it is essential that we address the serious safety concerns arising from e-scooter trials for the safety of all roads users. We must therefore bridge the gap in knowledge of the legal status of privately owned e-scooters and push for all types of e-scooters to be legal, with stricter safety standards implemented."
Hirra Khan Adeogun, Head of Car Free Cities at climate charity Possible, said: “If these statistics reveal anything it is how we rapidly need to legalise e-scooters to implement vehicle standards and provide rider education. Only then can e-scooters become a functional tool for urban mobility and decarbonising transport in our cities - they slash carbon emissions, are more energy and fuel efficient, and can expand access to public transport. Legalising them will ensure that they are both safe and welcomed by communities across the country.”
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