Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the maximum speed of electric scooters on sale in the UK.

It is illegal to use a powered transporter, such as an electric scooter, on a public road without it complying with specific legal requirements. In the UK, electric scooters are treated like any other motor vehicle under the Road Traffic Act. This means they are subject to laws requiring them to conform to technical standards and be used safely. This includes requirements for users to have insurance, driving licences, number plates, and helmets. At present, it is difficult for electric scooters to meet these requirements.

For scooters that do meet these requirements, users of them must comply with speed limits.

It is also illegal to use an electric 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 Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy, published on 19 March 2019, includes a regulatory review to address the challenges of ensuring our transport infrastructure and regulation are fit for the future. The Department will use the regulatory review to examine current legislation and determine from the evidence what is needed to make the necessary changes needed for a safe and healthy future.

Through the Future of Mobility Grand Challenge, we are exploring how new technologies, including electric scooters, could help the UK benefit from changes in how people, goods and services move around and possible barriers to securing those benefits.