Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Government’s evaluation of the e-scooter trials, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of escooter use on Government targets relating to (a) carbon emissions and (b) active travel.

His Majesty The King will set out the Government's legislative agenda for the next parliamentary session on 7 November.

The Government recognises that people want to take advantage of the opportunities e-scooters can offer. The Department is committed to encouraging innovation in transport, whilst ensuring new modes of transport are safe and secure by design.

There are several potential benefits to micromobility vehicles. They offer an alternative means of transport to those who would usually drive a car, and they could be an additional means of transport for people with certain disabilities.

E-scooters are less polluting than petrol and diesel powered vehicles at point of use. Therefore, using an e-scooter instead of driving is expected to reduce emissions and improve air quality. The Department’s national evaluation of the e-scooter trials estimated a total reduction between 269 to 348 tonnes of CO2e (to December 2021) across five case study areas due to modal shift from cars to rental e-scooters. However, more data needs to be gathered to understand lifecycle emissions of rental e-scooters.

The Department is aware of the observed mode shift from active travel to micromobility in the trials. The evaluation found that by December 2021 rental e-scooter journeys most commonly replaced walking journeys (42 per cent), followed by private motor vehicles or taxis (21 per cent). However, the proportion of walking journeys replaced reduced over time, while the proportion of private motor vehicle or taxi journeys being replaced increased over time. The evaluation also found that frequent rental users were less likely to have travelled by foot in the absence of a rental e-scooter than infrequent users.

Users of e-scooters in current trials are required to have a provisional driving licence. The Department is currently considering options for e-scooter regulations and will publicly consult before any new regulations come into force, including on licensing.