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Legalising e-scooters not a 'done deal', Transport Minister warns

A man rides an e-scooter down Oxford St in central London - AFP
A man rides an e-scooter down Oxford St in central London - AFP

Legalising e-scooters on the UK’s roads is not a 'done deal', a transport minister has warned as she refused to rule out riders needing driving licences for the devices.

Rachel Maclean, the future of transport minister, said the Government did not want to ‘rush into something that we regret later’ by giving the green light for the gadgets that are currently banned on public roads and pavements.

However, the minister also told MPs on the transport committee on Wednesday, that e-scooters could help entice people out of their cars for short journeys, such as nipping to the shops, or present an attractive option for female commuters who didn’t want to cycle while wearing a dress or skirt.

Her comments come a week after the Government launched the country’s first e-scooter trial in Middlesbrough, where people can now legally rent and ride them on roads and cycle lanes in designated areas.

Only people over 16 with a full or provisional driving licence will be able to hire the e-scooters, which have had their speed limit capped at 15.5mph.

Ms Maclean warned that even though the Government was trialing the gadgets, no final decision had been made on allowing e-scooters permanently on UK roads.

She said: “I want to stress to the committee that it is not a done deal, we need to consider carefully whether legalising e-scooters is right for this country.”

Ms Maclean said the driving licence requirement had been necessary for the trials as e-scooters are currently classed as road vehicles under British law.

Asked if the requirement could change if the devices are legalised in the future, the minister said the Government had “a genuinely open mind” and had not decided either way.

However, Ms Maclean said ministers did see potential benefits in legalising e-scooters if they convinced more people to ditch their cars for short journeys. MPs heard that around 58 per cent of car journeys in the UK are less than five miles and 24 per cent are less than two miles.

“We do really think there would be a significant benefit of providing this alternative method for people to make these short journeys that isn’t just jumping in a car to go to the shops,” added Ms Maclean.

Pressed on why the Government had allowed relatively powerful e-scooters as part of the trial, Ms Maclean said the devices needed to reach higher powers not for speed but to tackle hills and “carry heavier users”.

The minister also told MPs she had ridden an e-scooter herself in her front drive and found it “very safe and stable”

She added: “I am a big fan of cycling, which is fantastic and great, but it isn’t right for everybody. “Particularly for women travelling to work wearing a skirt or a dress and when you are not able to shower when you get there, we want to offer as many options as possible.”