Later this year, a bill will be introduced to make e-scooters legal to use on the UK’s roads.
If it follows a typical course, it will take about eight months to pass into law, from where consultation will begin prior to regulations being drafted to make it happen.
That process could take years but is expected to be fast-tracked. It seems likely that as a minimum today’s trials by selected local authorities using hire scooters run by established players from other markets will be extended nationally.
The rest is up for debate, such as whether helmets should be mandatory, whether scooters should emit an audible warning, what licencing and insurance might be required, what speed limits should apply, whether they can ride on pavements or just roads and whether privately owned scooters should be permitted.
