Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve safety for (a) pedestrians, (b) cyclists, and (c) other road users, in the context of the increase in the use of electric bikes and scooters.

The Government understands that perceived safety can be a barrier to more people choosing to walk, wheel or cycle. This is why the Department has recently announced almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/5 and 2025/6. While it is for local authorities to make decisions on investment in their active travel networks, Active Travel England works with officers to help support compliance with best practice when delivering walking, wheeling and cycling schemes.

Additionally, The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to improve the safety of all road users, particularly the most vulnerable. Key changes included the introduction of a Hierarchy of Road Users, which ensures that those who do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat that they pose to others, along with the strengthening of guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking cyclists and horse-riders.

No policy decisions on micromobility or e-scooter regulations have yet been made. The Department will consult on any new proposed regulations before they come into force. Until changes are made, private e-scooters remain illegal to use on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements and rental e-scooters can only be used as part of the Government’s rental e-scooter trials. Enforcement is a matter for the police.

The government is making our streets safer, by introducing new cycling offences to tackle those rare instances where victims have been killed or seriously injured by irresponsible cyclist behaviour.

This will ensure that all road users, whose behaviour results in the death or serious injury of another road user will face the same penalties.