Long overdue steps to regulate the use of e-scooters could be on the way. A report in the Daily Mail (23 July) says that the government plans to force riders to display licence plates, reduce the speed limit from 15.5mph to 12.5mph, consult on a minimum age limit of 14, make insurance compulsory and introduce mandatory rider training.
Attributed to a government source, the Mail says the police will welcome the crackdown. Over a three-year period, the police estimate e-scooters have been linked to more than 20,000 crimes, many of them drug-related.
Around 1.2 million e-scooters are in use. Only machines operated by approved rental companies can be legally used on the road; non-rental bikes can only be used on private land.
Margaret Winchcomb, of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, said: “Bringing in long-promised legislation will mean the UK, now the last country in Europe backing e-scooter regulation, will be able to deal with irresponsible sales to children and improve safety for all road users.”