Electric Scooters

(asked on 25th February 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals on the use of electric scooters on public highways; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including e-scooters in the cycle to work scheme run by HMRC.


Answered by
Rachel Maclean Portrait
Rachel Maclean
This question was answered on 4th March 2020

The Department is considering the use of electric scooters closely and recognises that people want to take advantage of the opportunities personal vehicles can offer. The Department is committed to encouraging innovation in transport as well as improving road safety, but new modes of transport must be safe and secure by design.

The Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy, published on 19 March 2019 includes a Regulatory Review which will address the challenges of ensuring our transport infrastructure and regulation are fit for the future.

The Strategy can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/future-of-mobility-urban-strategy

The Department will use the Regulatory Review to examine current legislation and determine from the evidence what is needed to make the necessary changes for a safe and healthy future. One strand of this will look at options for enabling micromobility devices, and a consultation will be issued in due course and when we have considered the consultation responses we will consider the legislative steps needed.

One of the principles of the Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy is that cycling and walking should remain the best options for short journeys and we remain committed to that. The Department has no plans to include e-scooters in the Cycle to Work Scheme. The Cycle to Work Scheme is an employee tax-benefit scheme that enables employees to hire cycles and cycle safety equipment for active travel to work from their employer, or from a third party, in return for a deduction from their earnings via salary sacrifice.

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