London is going to give e-scooters a good go, in an attempt to offer a greener and more COVID friendly way to get around the capital. Some 30 towns and cities are already running e-scooter rental schemes and these schemes have been accelerated because they are a good, socially distanced way to get around town.

Currently the situation is quite confusing and people in London, just to name one UK city, don’t seem to realise that they are not actually legally allowed to ride their own private e-scooter on the capital’s roads. The only scooters which are legal are hire ones which are speed restricted.

TFL are running e-scooter hire schemes in some parts of London. It seems that people seeing e-scooters scooting around, just imagine that they are legal for everyone and hop on their own e-scooter to get to work, school or deliver someone’s pizza.

Yes, there are some fears that they are now replacing the moped as the petty criminal’s vehicle of choice for going on the rob up Oxford Street etc. It is difficult for the police to pursue someone on an e-scooter as they can weave in and out of the traffic and pedestrians successfully, and police pursuit of them can put people in danger.  
Although recommended, helmets are not currently a legal requirement. Before you can hire an e-scooter in London, you need to have completed an online course and have a valid driving licence.

Despite some contra-indications, the MPs transport committee wants e-scooters to be legalised on the roads to:

• Help people with limited income get around cheaply
• Get people to work faster, avoiding traffic jams
• Work as delivery riders without having to get a scooter or a motorcycle
• Reduce pollution and traffic flow
• Travel in London in a socially distanced way

What are your thoughts on them? Would you be happy to see them legalised or are they an accident waiting to happen?
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