Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to protect (a) pedestrians and (b) disabled people from (i) micro scooters and (ii) other types of electric vehicles used on pedestrian walkways.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Since July 2020 I have held four e-scooter roundtable meetings with groups representing the interests of disabled people, including those with sight loss. The most recent roundtable was have held on 7 June 2021. Local areas involved in the trials gave presentations on what they are doing to address the concerns of disabled people in trial areas.
We have instructed all local authorities participating in trials to engage throughout the trial period with these groups in their local areas to ensure their concerns are being heard and, where possible, mitigated.
E-scooters are treated like any other motor vehicle under the Road Traffic Act. As such it is illegal to use an e-scooter in spaces which are set aside for use by pedestrians, cyclists, and horse-riders. This includes on the pavement and in cycle lanes. The law is very clear and there are existing penalties for improper use. Enforcement of offences relating to unlawful use of e-scooters is an operational matter the police.
The STATS19 data collection system has recently been reviewed. As part of this review, it is proposed that a new category of ‘powered personal transporter device’ – including, but not exclusive to, e-scooters – is added to the list of available vehicle types in STATS19. Stakeholder feedback on the review recommendations is currently being analysed and is scheduled for publication alongside the next road casualty statistics later this year.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with the Royal National Institute of Blind People and The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association on ensuring that bikes are parked in docking stations to prevent them being parked at random on pavements and in pedestrian areas.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department has regular discussions with its statutory advisors, the Disabled Person’s Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), on the transport needs of disabled people. I last met with the organisations mentioned in the question on 18th March 2021.
The Department has previously discussed this matter with stakeholders including local authorities and representatives from groups representing visually impaired people. Local authorities already have powers to deal with hire bicycles if they are causing an obstruction or nuisance.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to prevent the import of modified (a) e-scooters, (b) micro scooters and (c) e-bikes that are capable of being driven at speeds in excess of the permitted speed limit for public roads in the UK.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
In the UK, e-scooters are treated like any other motor vehicle under the Road Traffic Act and are subject to laws requiring them to be built and used safely, meaning that users need to have insurance, driving licences, number plates, and helmets. The law was not drafted with e-scooters in mind, and in practice users of e-scooters will find it a challenge to comply with these legal requirements. Offences relating to driving standards and speeding also apply. Ministers from the Department have written to micromobility retailers, and will do so again, reminding them of the law regarding the sale of e-scooters. It is in everyone’s interest that consumers can make properly informed decisions when buying these products about regulation and guidance being provided to retailers.
Electric cycles which can offer power assistance at speeds exceeding 15.5 mph, do not, in the Department’s opinion, comply with the relevant Regulations and therefore would also be considered to be a motor vehicle.
The law is very clear and there are existing penalties for improper use. Enforcement of offences relating to unlawful use of motor vehicles is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers of police in conjunction with local policing plans. They decide what offences may be appropriate in individual cases, taking into account the circumstances.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will issue guidance to (a) parents and (b) children on the use of safe transport to school including the safe use of (i) electric bikes, (ii) e-scooters and (iii) electric skateboards.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
E-scooters and electric skateboards cannot be used legally on the road or pavement, and the Government would not therefore support their use as a safe way of getting to school. The Department is supporting carefully controlled trials of e-scooters in 32 trial areas which will inform future policy decisions on this matter.
The travel guidance on gov.uk, updated on 17 May, continues to recommend that people should walk or cycle where possible. The Department has no plans to issue further guidance on this matter but will continue to emphasise the importance of walking and cycling to school, and has increased to £18 million its funding of Bikeability training for schoolchildren in the current financial year. Only those over 14 are legally allowed to ride an e-bike, and, like all cyclists, they should follow the advice in The Highway Code. The Bikeability Trust will be reviewing its resources to help more schools prepare for Bikeability training, and will look to include information about e-devices in future.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish data for road traffic accidents involving e-scooters, electric bikes and electric skateboards on (a) public highways and (b) pavements in the last 12 months or the most recent period for which that data is available.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Data on personal injury road accidents is collected via the STATS19 system of accidents reported by the police.
Electric scooters and other micromobility vehicles are not currently one of the designated vehicle types collected in STATS19, and as such they would be classed as ‘other’ and can only be identified using a free text field in the STATS19 database.
Data for 2020 are currently being collated and validated. Subject to the data recorded in the free text field being of sufficient quality, we intend to publish data on e-scooters and other vehicle types which can be reliably identified from the free text field alongside the annual Reported Road Casualties Great Britain statistics publication in September 2021.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with Network Rail on the potential merits of making available land for community garden kitchens in urban areas.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Network Rail run over 100 community schemes across Britain as part of their ‘Community Rail’ programme. They invite voluntary groups to transform disused railway land in their area including old platforms, land adjoining stations, and land underneath viaducts. Network Rail keep volunteers safe and make sure that all community schemes coordinate with and complement the existing railway operation.
Network Rail are always happy and open to discussing new ideas for local communities. My right honourable friend can contact Network Rail’s public affairs office at publicaffairs@networkrail.co.uk.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce noise pollution from motorised delivery vehicles in urban areas.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
In 2015 the Department for Transport worked with other Government departments, the Freight Transport Association (now Logistics UK), and the Noise Abatement Society to produce guidance on good practice for quiet deliveries. The published guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quiet-deliveries-demonstration-scheme.
Regulations governing the maximum sound level of goods vehicles are harmonised at an international level and require new vehicles to demonstrate compliance before being placed on the market. Reductions in the maximum sound limit will apply to new vehicles being registered from July 2022 with a further reduction planned for July 2026.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support the use of electric mopeds and motorbikes by delivery companies in urban areas.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) provides grants for plug-in cars, vans, lorries, taxis and motorcycles, as well as funding to support charge point infrastructure at homes, workplaces, on residential streets and across the wider roads network.
Through the plug-in motorcycle grant (PIMG), zero emission mopeds and motorcycles are eligible for a grant of 20% up to £1,500. UK delivery companies and their riders are able to take advantage of this grant. Since the scheme launched in 2016, over 2,600 PIMG-eligible motorcycles have been registered in the UK.
Last year, the Government announced £582m to support consumer grants, including extending the PIMG to 2022-23.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trasnport, if he will introduce compulsory traffic calming measures and hazard signs outside all (a) early years education settings and (b) schools to reduce the risk of injury and death to children.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Local authorities are responsible for roads in their area and are free to make their own decisions about the design of the streets they manage.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contingency planning his Department has undertaken to avoid future disruption to air routes from volcanic activity.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The UK is prepared to deal with a significant Icelandic volcanic eruption. Since 2010, the Department for Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), NATS and industry have developed a bespoke response guidance, which is regularly exercised and updated.
We are confident that contingency plans developed by the government and the aviation industry, alongside actions taken by the Icelandic authorities, will reduce significantly the level of disruption arising from a similar eruption to that in 2010. Volcanic activity across Iceland is kept under constant scrutiny and the contingency plans can be deployed quickly if required.