Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the difference between (1) the locations where e-scooters are permitted to be ridden, and (2) locations where electric or non-electric cycles are allowed to be ridden.

In the UK, e-scooters are classed in law as a type of motor vehicle, therefore, all users of e-scooters in approved rental trial areas are required to hold a driving licence (a provisional as a minimum).

When hiring an e-scooter, the user is required to demonstrate that they are eligible to ride and do so by showing relevant identification.

E-scooters in approved rental trial areas are permitted in geographical areas agreed between the local authority, operator and the Department. They are permitted on roads and in cycle lanes within that area but not on the pavement. Local authorities and operators are able to add additional local controls, using geofencing technology, to exclude e-scooters from places considered inappropriate for their use, such as pedestrianised areas. Shared bike and electric bike schemes in England are largely unregulated and are able to operate across a larger geographical area.