Lord Storey
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the use of electric bikes and scooters on roads.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill) (Lab)
The Government recognise the role that light electric vehicles, including electric cycles and scooters, can play in supporting economic growth, improving health and reducing emissions. The electric cycles that comply with regulations are already permitted on public roads, and the Government recently legislated to improve the regulation of shared bike schemes. E-scooters are being tested through shared rental trials to assess their benefits and safety, while private e-scooters remain illegal for use on public roads. We will consult on proposals for e-scooters in the next few months.
Lord Storey (LD)
My Lords, last October, Sandy Peters was walking on a pavement in south London with her son—it was his birthday—when a hired bike hit her at full speed. Her face went into a brick wall. She spent seven days in hospital, facing £10,000-worth of dental surgery. She has no way of recovering that money, because the company that hired out the bike carries no rider liability insurance. The rider was 16 and should have never hired a bike, but the age checks failed and the law required none. Nobody was held to account. Does the Minister not think it time to sort out the problems of e-bikes and e-scooters once and for all?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
The first thing to say is that we absolutely sympathise with somebody with such terrible injuries in those circumstances; our hearts go out to them and their family. As part of the powers the Government have taken on shared cycles, we will have powers to set insurance requirements. No decisions have yet been taken, but we will consult on them as a consequence of the powers given in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act for precisely the reason given by the noble Lord: hire schemes need some rules, and that legislation enables us to set them.
Lord Krebs (CB)
My Lords, where I live, in Oxford, one of the problems with e-bikes and e-scooters is that, all too often, they are dumped on the footpath and block the way for, in particular, mothers with prams and pushchairs, elderly people and the sight-impaired. In this context, in the past 18 months, Kensington and Chelsea Council has removed more than 2,500 illegally parked e-bikes and e-scooters and has charged the operators £210,000 for doing so. Does the Minister think that other councils, including Oxfordshire County Council, should be encouraged to follow the lead of Kensington and Chelsea?
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
My Lords, does the Minister have a timetable for the introduction in law of the insurance scheme? He knows from our discussions during the passage of the English devolution Bill that the Motor Insurers’ Bureau is very keen on this. Can he also look outside Parliament at the new super highway for bicycles that is being built, and give an assurance that there will be safe crossings for pedestrians to reach the House of Lords and other aspects of Parliament? At the moment, cyclists and e-scooters are not stopping at the traffic lights, and it is incredibly dangerous for visitors and parliamentarians alike to cross the road at Abingdon Street.
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
It was a surprise to the House authorities, just as it was to noble Lords, that construction of that scheme started on Saturday without notice. I and the department would expect the scheme to be designed in accordance with all the right design principles for cycling. I would also expect, as has been remarked in here before, all road users to observe their duty to comply with the law, which includes cyclists stopping at red lights.
Lord Shamash (Lab)
My Lords, I ought to declare an interest, in that I do not like electric bikes or electric scooters, so at least noble Lords know where I am coming from. Being stationary at a red traffic light and being overtaken by bikes that do not pay the slightest heed to the traffic signals is really frustrating to watch, not least given the speed at which some of them can travel. Will the Government give serious thought to negotiating with the companies? We understand the 20 mph limit, which I and a number of my colleagues in the House find incredibly frustrating. It would be useful if these bikes had speed limiters, so that the fastest they can go is 19 mph. Can that be taken on board? Will the Government negotiate with the bicycle companies to make sure that they do all they can to make these bikes as safe as possible for other road users?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
Electric cycles are only legal provided that the user is 14 years old or older and that the cycle meets the regulatory requirements: a maximum power of 250 watts and a maximum assisted speed of 15.5 mph. Beyond that, they are classed as motor vehicles, so they cannot legally be used on the road unless they are approved and registered with the DVLA, and taxed and insured. Riders must also wear helmets and hold a driving licence. The encouraging thing is that enforcement, which has been championed by the City of London Police, is increasingly being carried out by other police forces which have realised that people who use illegal e-bikes also break other laws and create other offences.
Baroness Grender (LD)
My Lords, we see a wide- spread issue with gig economy on-demand delivery riders illegally operating private e-scooters on public infrastructure. Will the Government introduce robust statutory duties for delivery companies to actively audit, monitor and enforce legal compliance among their riders?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
The noble Baroness is quite right: many of the principal complaints about this concern riders delivering food and other items. The Minister for Local Transport has written to food delivery companies emphasising the need for appropriate training, and the department has commissioned research on the road behaviours of food delivery drivers. As part of the road safety strategy, we have announced the piloting of a voluntary national work-related road safety charter for businesses that require people to drive or ride for them. The noble Baroness is right that there are issues with the gig economy and people who are employed to ride these bikes, and this is what the Government will do about that.
Lord Rogan (UUP)
My Lords, e-scooters cannot be used legally anywhere in Northern Ireland, except on private land with the owner’s permission. However, according to the most recent figures, three people have died and 51 have been seriously injured in Northern Ireland due to e-scooter collisions. Under current legislation, the PSNI must issue a warning before any e-scooters can be seized. Does the Minister agree that the removal of this legal obstacle, enabling officers to act immediately, would be incredibly helpful in enabling them to better protect the Northern Ireland public from reckless e-scooter riders?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 gave police stronger powers to seize vehicles being used anti-socially, without first requiring a warning. It also introduced new respect orders enabling police and councils to ban persistent offenders from areas where they cause harm. I am not familiar with whether that legislation applies to Northern Ireland, but I will write to the noble Lord to confirm that.
Lord Young of Cookham (Con)
My Lords, it is time someone spoke up for the cyclist. Unlike the noble Lord, Lord Shamash, I like e-bikes. I am one of a number of noble Lords on the other side of middle age who use e-bikes—legal e-bikes—to get around. Our case is undermined by illegal e-bikes being driven dangerously, often by delivery drivers. The City of London Police confiscates and destroys five illegal e-bikes every week. Should not more police forces do that and give wide publicity to that, in order to reduce this abuse?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
The noble Lord is right, and in pursuit of his desires, the Metropolitan Police recently seized 52 illegal e-bikes and mopeds. A total of 2,741 were seized across 2025-26. West Midlands Police seized more than 50, and Greater Manchester Police seized six and removed 55 locally. Merseyside Police seized over 500, Nottinghamshire Police around 100 and South Yorkshire Police over 150. So, we are starting to see proper enforcement across Britain, and the more publicity all that gets, the better.
Lord Moylan (Con)
My Lords, I want to throw my tuppence into this. Building on the question asked by the noble Lord, Lord Krebs, what strikes me is just how shoddy and tawdry our great city streets are looking. They have been turned into great parking lots of bikes for the benefit of private companies. Is the Minister not moved to do more than simply recite a series of legal requirements imposed on bicyclists that nobody ever complies with?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
Gosh. The answer to that is the ability, through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, to allow local leaders to license shared cycle schemes. This is precisely the measure that will enable local authorities to clean up streets, at least in respect of bikes. As we go forward with proposals for e-scooters, I have no doubt that the same powers will feature. The noble Lord does have a good point, especially in relation to people with partial or no sight, or other disabilities. Littering the pavements and streets with these things is hugely undesirable for ordinary people trying to walk about and make use of their towns and cities.