E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

Helen Maguire Excerpts

Wednesday 21st October 2026 Westminster Hall

[Helen Maguire (Epsom and Ewell) (LD)]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered the regulation of e-scooters and e-bikes.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I am pleased to have secured this debate and really grateful for the opportunity to raise this issue, which we urgently need to see progress on.

This is a timely debate because I hosted a roundtable on this very topic last week. Twenty-five individuals attended. There were senior-ranking representatives from nine police forces across the country, five police and crime commissioners, one borough commander and one assistant chief constable. The officers who were present were from the Met, Derbyshire, Merseyside, Surrey, Lancashire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Hertfordshire, and Devon and Cornwall. There were industry representatives, campaigners, policy experts, academics, doctors and MPs. I am thankful to all those who attended and shared their insights and expertise with me and the other MPs who were there. The fact that so many individuals representing diverse groups and interests travelled across the UK to London to speak about this issue highlights the urgency and the need for action.

How did this issue become so important to me? It all started when I was canvassing to become an MP, and I met so many constituents who raised the issue of e-scooters and e-bikes in my constituency of Epsom and Ewell. It became a top issue. One of my constituents, Ed Dark, told me that his little boy is now too scared to go to the beautiful park that is next to his house.

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

Many people in my constituency feel frightened and intimidated when just walking on the pavement runs the risk of them colliding with an e-scooter or e-bike. I have raised the matter with the police, but they say they are unable to take action unless the riders are caught riding the vehicle. Does the hon. Member agree that we need greater enforcement powers, clearer national guidance and stronger controls on the sale of illegal e-scooters and e-bikes, so that we can better protect our residents and restore confidence in our neighbourhoods?

[Helen Maguire]

I agree with everything the hon. Member says, and I will talk about those points in my speech.

Edward Dark’s son was walking home from school one day when he was nearly hit by an e-scooter. That could have been fatal. Thankfully, it was not. Another constituent told me they have even considered moving house—just consider that: moving house—because of the e-scooter misuse in their neighbourhood.

[Sarah Edwards (Tamworth) (Lab)]

The hon. Member has rightfully secured a debate on this extremely important topic. In the summer in Tamworth, there was an extremely serious collision between a six-year-old girl and an e-motorbike. She was in a critical condition as a result, but fortunately she did not die. Will the hon. Member be pressing the Government to give more resources to policing and to clarify the legislation for e-bikes and e-motorbikes?

[Helen Maguire]

I am really sorry to hear about the hon. Member’s constituent; I hope she is okay now. I will indeed be raising those issues.

One constituent told me that her car was hit by an illegally ridden e-bike on the wrong side of the road. She got the individual’s details and reported it to the police, but she was told that they would keep a lookout rather than seize the bike from the known address.

This issue goes far beyond Epsom and Ewell, as Members have already demonstrated. Across the country, we are seeing young people on e-scooters riding at high speed through red lights, parks and pedestrianised areas.

[Anna Dixon (Shipley) (Lab)]

I thank the hon. Lady for the excellent seminar she held last week, which I attended. Illegal e-motorbikes are a blight on my constituency. I have spoken to the police and to the lead police officers who she convened last week, and they say that this is the preferred vehicle of choice for organised criminals. Will she press the Minister to work with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade to ensure that non-compliant conversion kits are banned from sale as soon as possible?

[Helen Maguire]

I absolutely agree: this is one of the matters that the Minister needs to take forward.

We have the issues of illegally modified e-scooters, which can now reach speeds of up to 70 mph; e-bikes, which are catching fire due to uncertified lithium-ion batteries; and the use of e-vehicles in criminal activity and antisocial behaviour, as the hon. Member for Shipley (Anna Dixon) alluded to. Pedestrians have the fundamental right to feel safe. They should not need to worry about being hit or knocked over when simply walking in the park or on the streets. That is particularly important for vulnerable groups, especially those with vision loss or mobility needs.

[Mark Sewards (Leeds South West and Morley) (Lab)]

I thank the hon. Member for making such a strong argument. Along with other hon. Members, I recently met representatives of Guide Dogs for the Blind. They made a strong case for visually impaired and blind people, who are often put off going out on to their own streets, due to the silent nature of e-scooters and e-bikes. Does she agree that that point alone underscores the need to enforce the law properly in this area?

[Helen Maguire]

I absolutely agree. This is a critical issue for the high number of visually impaired people living in Swail House in Epsom in my constituency.

There are flaws in the current collision data. In 2023, there were at least 1,299 collisions involving e-scooters, but those statistics do not show the full picture. How can they, when the data is not consistently collected or identified? Data on death and injuries in reported road collisions is reported to the Department for Transport by police forces in Great Britain via STATS19. A new powered personal transporter category was introduced to cover e-scooters, but not all forces currently use the new specification. I urge the Minister to enforce the use of the new STATS19 specification for all police forces, so that we can understand exactly what is going on.

[Andrew George (St Ives) (LD)]

My hon. Friend is making an excellent point. Surely, the answer is relatively simple: if a scooter or bike operates purely through an electronic motor and not human propulsion, it should be taxed, insured and subject to an MOT like any other motorbike.

[Helen Maguire]

I thank my hon. Friend. I am sure he can put that point to the Minister.

E-bikes are not currently distinguished from pedal cycle or electric motorcycle categories depending on their power rating. The Government have stated that there are no plans to change STATS19 data to introduce specific categories for e-bikes. I urge the Minister to reassess introducing a specific category for e-bikes within STATS19.

[James Naish (Rushcliffe) (Lab)]

I went to the Queen’s Medical Centre, the main hospital in Nottingham, to meet the paediatric teams. They told me that there had been 10 serious acquired brain injuries since April this year. They are looking at two a month, with the curve on an upward trajectory. The data on the ground is clear that this is a problem, so Ministers need to get beyond the lag in the data and start taking the action called for by people such as the medics I met. Does the hon. Member agree that the human cost and the long-term impact on those young people needs to be prioritised?

[Helen Maguire]

I absolutely agree and will talk more about the human cost. The changes would provide an accurate oversight of the scale and distribution of the issue. That would lead to more effective enforcement and legislation. How can we begin to address the issue if we do not understand the full picture? Behind the limited statistics is an unacceptable price of injury and death, particularly for children.

At my roundtable, I spoke to Dr Durand, a consultant in paediatric emergency medicine. Her research in the Emergency Medicine Journal analysed e-scooter injury data over six years, from three major children’s trauma centres, in Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield. She found that 447 children attended hospital following an e-scooter-related injury; one in 10 had serious head injuries requiring hospital admission and surgery; and 95% of injuries involved the rider. She also found that the average age of an injured child was 12, with half aged between 10 and 13; that annual cases rose from fewer than 10 in 2019 to almost 150 by 2024; that as many as 74% of the injured children live in areas with the greatest socioeconomic deprivation; and that under 2% of riders were wearing a helmet.

I want to tell you about Jacob’s journey, because behind each of the statistics is a child with possible life-ending injuries, and permanently changed families. One of those is the Calland family. I was fortunate to meet Carly Calland for the second time at my roundtable. The Calland family tragically lost their son, Jacob, in an e-scooter incident.

On 19 March 2025, Jacob left home and met up with a friend. He decided to ride as passenger on the back of that boy’s e-scooter, without any protective gear. That decision cost him his life. At 3.59 pm, the e-scooter collided with a car. Jacob was thrown to the other side of the road and landed in front of oncoming traffic. He suffered a catastrophic head injury, and was brought into the intensive care unit and put in a coma. He underwent multiple surgeries to try to control the bleeding and swelling on the brain, but his condition began to deteriorate, and there was nothing more that could be done to save his life. Jacob Calland passed away at 5.18 am on Thursday 27 March 2025. He was just 14 years and nine months old.

How many more children need to die for the Government to take this issue seriously? There was no mention of e-scooter and e-bike legislation in the King’s Speech, and the DFT said that the earliest that legislation could be considered is May 2027. That is unacceptable. The lack of time in the parliamentary calendar is not an excuse for failing to act to save our children’s lives.

[Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP)]

Does the hon. Lady agree that, in advance of the change that we all want, we need to see a consistent approach across the country? I have had parents say to me that senior police officers in one part of the country have one attitude to this ongoing and worsening problem, and other compatriots have another.

[Helen Maguire]

Absolutely, and I will come to the police powers and the Acts available to them.

I have three children myself, and Jacob could have been one of mine. He could have been the child of anyone in the Chamber. As MPs, we have a duty to keep our children safe. Jacob Calland lived in Wythenshawe, Manchester, close to Makerfield, so if the Prime Minister is listening, I urge him to act now.

That brings me to the unending rental e-scooter trials. The trials began in July 2020, and were intended to run until November 2021. They were launched to review whether e-scooters reduce pressure on public transport and motor traffic, and to look at their safety impacts. They were extended until March 2022 to allow for more time for evidence to be gathered due to covid. They were then extended again until November 2022 due to the DFT issuing guidance to enhance safety measures. They were then extended again to May 2025 to allow the DFT to reflect on further analysis, and they have now been extended again until May 2028 to help fill evidence gaps to inform legislation. That will be eight years of trials with no action.

Why are the trials unending? What are we trying to achieve with that period of time? Ireland had a six-month trial, Germany had a 180-day trial and France and Spain did not even have trials, and those countries were able to implement legislation and improve road safety in a fraction of the time. My question to the Minister is: why can’t we?

[Catherine Atkinson (Derby North) (Lab)]

Derbyshire constabulary has seized and crushed more than 1,000 illegal electric scooters, some capable of travelling at 50 mph and being ridden by children. At such a speed, the damage that can be done is catastrophic. Older constituents have told me that they are afraid to go into Derby city centre for fear of being hit, and that is not to mention the house fires that have been caused by e-scooter batteries. Does the hon. Lady agree that the sooner we legislate to tackle illegal scooters and protect the public, the better?

[Helen Maguire]

I absolutely agree, and I congratulate Derbyshire police on doing an outstanding job in seizing e-scooters and e-bikes.

Between the start of the trials in 2020 and December 2025, there were 7,591 reported casualties in collisions involving e-scooters. In 2025 alone, there were 1,477 reported collisions and 10 deaths. The time for data collection has long passed. Legislation is now needed to save lives on roads.

The lack of Government action is forcing police forces to deal with this issue on their own. There is no centralised guidance on operational tactics, so the police are adapting seizing powers. Derbyshire police have a “see it, seize it” system, where they are empowering police community support officers under section 165A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to seize and remove e-scooters within 24 hours, but the situation is not consistent across the country. Every police force does it differently.

[Bradley Thomas (Bromsgrove) (Con)]

I thank the hon. Lady for calling this very timely debate. Does she agree that this is a particular problem where policing borders meet? My constituency is under the West Mercia jurisdiction, but in Cofton Hackett, a village that has an acute problem with e-bikes, the bikes often originate in Birmingham, which is under the jurisdiction of West Midlands police. It feels as though some areas fall between the cracks and that this e-bike problem is increasingly without consequences.

[Helen Maguire]

I agree. When police forces use different tactics, there is a cross-boundary border issue.

Derbyshire police implemented a huge public awareness campaign with the fire brigade, housing providers, schools and retailers. It is important that we inform the public more about this, because they are incredibly confused about e-scooters that can be bought legally, but cannot be used on our public roads or in parks; only the trial e-scooters can be used legally. As we enter the Christmas season, many parents might be thinking about an e-scooter or e-bike as a gift, so I urge the Government to put safety first and reconsider the policy. Since implementing the scheme in Derbyshire, 30 e-scooters a month—a total of 1,060—have been seized. The strategy is effective, as there has been a 40% reduction in e-scooter crime and an 11% reduction in e-bike crime.

Surrey police recently announced Operation Scramble, in which illegal e-bikes and e-scooters will be seized and destroyed. The Government must support police forces; they are calling for workable legislation, which is why there were so many representatives from police forces around the country at my roundtable the other day.

To be clear, I am not against e-scooters or e-bikes because their benefits are clear. They are affordable transport alternatives; they make difficult routes accessible; they have less impact than cars on the environment; they improve public health, local air quality and cut congestion; and they support the hard workers in the gig economy. But they must be properly regulated and legislated for, and the rules must be enforced to protect all members of the public.

There is currently no practical legislation on the use of e-scooters and e-bikes; no co-ordinated guidance for police forces; no effective regulation on import or sale; no control of the online or grey marketplace, and no public understanding of what is and is not legal. Failure to act is not just about lives; it is about lost revenue to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, further strain and costs on our hospitals and the NHS, increased pressure on police forces, and confusion among retailers, consumers and parents. Will the Minister commit today to ending the ongoing trials, outline the next steps for legislation, and commit to the safety of our children and young people in the UK, so that no parent has to spend this Christmas without their child?

[Several hon. Members rose—]

--- Later in debate ---

[Justin Madders]

There is an awful lot we need to be looking at in terms of the retail element, which I will come to shortly.

We have heard contributions from my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford East (Anneliese Dodds); from my hon. Friends the Members for Darlington (Lola McEvoy), for Mitcham and Morden (Dame Siobhain McDonagh), for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Neil Coyle), for Carlisle, for Glenrothes and Mid Fife (Richard Baker), for Ealing Southall (Deirdre Costigan), for Reading Central (Matt Rodda), for St Austell and Newquay (Noah Law), for Rushcliffe (James Naish), for Leeds South West and Morley (Mark Sewards), for Tamworth (Sarah Edwards), for Derby North (Catherine Atkinson), for Wolverhampton West (Warinder Juss) and for Shipley (Anna Dixon); and from the hon. Members for Broxbourne (Lewis Cocking), for Stockton West (Matt Vickers), for Eastbourne (Josh Babarinde), for Sutton and Cheam (Luke Taylor), for Yeovil (Adam Dance), for Witney (Charlie Maynard), for Strangford (Jim Shannon) and for East Londonderry (Mr Campbell). This is clearly a nationwide issue that Members throughout the House are particularly interested in. I will not be able to address every single comment, but I will pick out a few that I can address now. We will respond in writing—either me or the relevant Minister—to issues that we are not able to pick up.

I know that my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden has campaigned on this issue for a long time. She mentioned e-bike fires, which I am well aware of as I was the Minister responsible for the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025. I have met Sofia Duarte’s mother and I absolutely agree that it is important that we introduce regulations. I will address that in due course.

My hon. Friend the Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark probably shared a little too much information about his body shape, but he asked an important question about the national licensing framework. I can confirm that the consultation on that will begin imminently.

My hon. Friend the Member for Darlington mentioned the tragic circumstances of her constituent Gloria. I absolutely hear what her daughter Julie has said, and reassure her that we will act on that. My hon. Friend mentioned a review of the dirt bike licensing regime; I will come back to her on that in writing. She was right, as were my hon. Friend the Member for Glenrothes and Mid Fife and the hon. Member for Witney, along with several others, about the responsibility of retailers. It is not good enough to put in small print that these vehicles are for use only on private land. That is not the action of a responsible retailer. Let me be clear: we expect retailers to clean up their act, and if they are not able to do that, more levers are available for us to deal with that.

It might help if I briefly set out the current legislative framework. The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983 set out the parameters for what is legal and what is not. The power of the electric motor on a legal e-bike cannot exceed 250 watts, and the maximum assisted speed cannot exceed 15.5 mph. Anything faster or more powerful is an electric motorbike and should therefore be approved and registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, taxed and insured. In addition, the rider must wear a safety helmet and hold a driving licence. A vehicle that is too fast or too powerful and not properly registered as an electric motorbike is illegal for use on public roads. We absolutely need to restate that.

The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell mentioned concerns that the police do not have enough powers. I think it is fair to say, as a number of Members recognised, that the Government have made it easier for the police to act thanks to measures in the Crime and Policing Act 2026—I am afraid the shadow Minister forgot to mention that his party voted against it on Third Reading. The police can now seize vehicles without first having to issue a warrant.

As my hon. Friend the Member for Reading Central said, police forces use a range of different tactics; we are keen to learn from experiences up and down the country. I am pleased to report that there is a lot of cracking down in different forces, tackling the issue from London to Liverpool. Merseyside police’s Operation Gears seized 500 illegal electric motorbikes and e-scooters in 2025. Only last week, the local constabulary in my Ellesmere Port constituency seized around 13 illegal vehicles, supported by one of my local councillors, Katie Kendrick. The issue really matters to people, because we all see it on the streets. If people are wearing balaclavas on bikes, it is criminality hiding in plain sight. It is equivalent to the dodgy vape shop. It is important that we support the police to use the powers they have, and look at whether more powers are needed to deal with the issue.

Of course, that is only one side of the problem. As we have discussed, it is far too easy to get hold of these vehicles, which means we must look at doing more at the point of sale. This is about not just the bikes but the e-bike conversion kits which, as we have heard, have the potential to pose real harm to cyclists and others. E-bike batteries can be dangerous if they are not properly installed, and they must be properly regulated to keep people safe.

As Members will be aware, over the summer the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade consulted on a range of updates to the product safety framework, including clear duties for online marketplaces to take due care to identify, prevent and remove from their sites unsafe products such as unsafe or non-compliant batteries and their use in e-bikes and conversion kits. That consultation has now closed. BIST officials are considering the responses as part of drafting the Government’s response. As the Minister who introduced the enabling legislation, I am keener than most to ensure that we make the best use of it. I remind the shadow Minister yet again that his party voted against that particular set of laws.

Let me turn briefly to e-scooters. The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell told us about the tragic death of Jacob Calland, and my sympathies are with his family; I understand that they met my predecessor, and I am keen to continue that dialogue. As Members have pointed out, private e-scooters are illegal for use on public roads. They can be legally used only through the Government’s trials, which have been extended to May 2028. The trial system was implemented back in 2020 but has never been placed on a statutory footing. We are making a firm commitment that we will legislate to define e-scooters in law, which will provide the certainty that we currently do not have. People will know what is legal and what is not, and what can be enforced against.

[Helen Maguire]

Will the Minister give way?

[Justin Madders]

The hon. Member will have an opportunity to respond at the end.

It is fair to say that there is no international consensus on the right package of regulations for e-scooters, which is why our trial extension is important. We recognise that there will be trade-offs when regulating e-scooters, which is why we will consult next year on detailed proposals.

I will conclude, because the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell will want an opportunity to respond. My hon. Friend the Member for Darlington and my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford East asked whether I will use my convening power in the Department to get action across Government. I am pleased to confirm that I am working with colleagues across the Home Office and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, and we are setting up a cross-departmental working group to look at this issue, because we consider it an important matter to be tackled across Government. I will shortly meet colleagues across the House who have raised these issues, and I hope to be able to provide regular updates, because this is an important matter to Members and we are determined to tackle it.

[Helen Maguire]

I thank everyone who has attended this incredibly important debate for their contributions, and I want to highlight a few of them. The hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame Siobhain McDonagh) spoke about her constituent Sofia Duarte, who sadly died following a fire; my heart goes out to her and her family.

The right hon. Member for Oxford East (Anneliese Dodds) talked about bringing Departments together. That is critical, because this is a cross-departmental issue and Governments are usually not very good at working across Departments. I hope the Minister takes that on board so that we can find some solutions.

My hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Luke Taylor) talked about impunity for employers in the gig economy. It is vital that we resolve that.

My hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne (Josh Babarinde) spoke about some interesting measures in New South Wales and New York. It is really important that we look at what is being done abroad and what has been successful in other places.

The hon. Member for Carlisle (Ms Minns) said that the popularity of e-bikes is depressing the sale of legal motorbikes. That has a consequence for the Treasury, because there is less income as a result, which is incredibly important.

My hon. Friend the Member for Yeovil (Adam Dance) spoke about the blatant ignorance of individuals who are not paying road tax and are flouting the rules. Again, that has an impact on the Treasury.

The hon. Member for Reading Central (Matt Rodda) spoke about intimidating behaviour, which I am sure many Members across the House have seen. We need stronger powers for the police, as many Members said, so that they can not only enforce on the streets and roads but identify what is legal and what is not. We need there to be point-of-sale responsibility, which is not happening at the moment. We also need a decision about the trials. I welcome the Minister saying that he will bring people together and that there will be legislation at some point, but we need a timeframe; we cannot have this trial going on for another two years.

We need action and we need decisions. We need to end the current confusion about what is legal and what is not, because retailers do not have to provide information about that when people make a purchase. Fundamentally, we need to make our streets and parks safe again for our constituents. I hope the Minister will take away all the contributions been made today.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House has considered the regulation of e-scooters and e-bikes.