The motorcycling world is used to being largely ignored by the UK government, however, the last few months have been unique in that most areas of public life have also been largely ignored by the government. As highlighted by the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) this month (see page 4), the resignation of Boris Johnson, six weeks of Tory leadership electioneering and the resulting changes in almost all ministerial posts had already caused a serious stagnation in government. The death of the Queen, the period of national mourning and her state funeral further extended the situation. Add in the Parliamentary recess for party conferences, and there have been few decisions taken between July and October.
An example of this is the status of e-scooters. It’s a tiny issue in the big picture of course, and pales in comparison with rising energy bills, the cost of living and the war in Ukraine. A decision on changing the law to permit the use of e-scooters on UK roads, which had been expected, one way or the other, earlier in the summer, hasn’t been made. The minister responsible, Grant Shapps, has now been sacked from his role as Secretary of State for Transport, replaced by Ann-Marie Trevelyan, and transport minister Trudy Harrison has also been moved on.
That means the current situation, where tens of thousands of people are buying and using the battery-powered urban mobility devices illegally, has continued, arguably pushing the law into ‘an ass’ territory. The fact the scooters can be sold and owned legally, yet are illegal to use on roads of pavements, puts the police in a difficult situation. Especially with the trials of hire e-scooters at several locations further confusing the public.
Kent County Council has taken a decision though, refusing to extend e-scooter trials in Canterbury which had been running since November 2020. The Department for Transport had offered Kent CC the option to extend the trials until May 2024 (which might point to a new holding position from the UK government) – but following some high-profile accidents, Kent has pulled out, and the trial will end on 30 November.
Cllr David Brazier, Kent County Council’s cabinet member for transport overseeing the trial, told the Daily Mirror: “As we were nearing the end of the trial, I decided to truncate it before someone was seriously hurt. Recently an elderly lady was quite seriously injured by an e-scooter being ridden in a pedestrian area, which is not allowed.”