E Scooters soon to be allowed on UK roads?
Discussion
Apologies for the link but it pretty much explains the thinking behind it...
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/e-scooters-to-g...
I doubt I’ll have issues as long as they’re insured and visible.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/e-scooters-to-g...
I doubt I’ll have issues as long as they’re insured and visible.
Norfolk B-roads said:
I really hope they are legal soon. I think they're awesome and practical and I'd love one, and I've even considered just getting one and trying not to annoy anyone with it and pleading ignorance on the whole legality thing, but I'm just too law-abiding.
I’ve just had a look at what’s available and a Boosted Rev looks quite good. 22 mile range and up to 24mph. It would be good if car insurance companies would insure these as an add on if you have a car/bike policy already. Popping to the shop or family who are fairly local would be my main use for something like this to save starting the car up. Concerns are Government will attempt to regulate it, lots will ignore it and there’s no way of policing it all.
Fatball said:
Norfolk B-roads said:
I really hope they are legal soon. I think they're awesome and practical and I'd love one, and I've even considered just getting one and trying not to annoy anyone with it and pleading ignorance on the whole legality thing, but I'm just too law-abiding.
I’ve just had a look at what’s available and a Boosted Rev looks quite good. 22 mile range and up to 24mph. It would be good if car insurance companies would insure these as an add on if you have a car/bike policy already. Popping to the shop or family who are fairly local would be my main use for something like this to save starting the car up. Concerns are Government will attempt to regulate it, lots will ignore it and there’s no way of policing it all.
These e scooters are surely the solution to city mobility and tackling pollution. Never used one but I see them as a nice bridge between cycling - which many people don’t do as they don’t want to arrive sweaty and possibly oily - and public transport which is expensive and not very pleasant most of the time.
I agree with the previous poster - limit them to 15.5mph which is plenty fast enough and make sure there’s no need for insurance or tax just like ebikes. No doubt you’ll get people in restricting their scooters but not much you can do about that and people do that to ebikes anyway AFAIK.
I agree with the previous poster - limit them to 15.5mph which is plenty fast enough and make sure there’s no need for insurance or tax just like ebikes. No doubt you’ll get people in restricting their scooters but not much you can do about that and people do that to ebikes anyway AFAIK.
Richtea1970 said:
How will these little scooter wheels deal with our pot-holed roads?
I think they should be legalised but still struggle to see where they could be safely ridden as not allowed on pathways and would be too dangerous on the roads surely?
The ones in Germany have suspension which makes even cobbles ok.I think they should be legalised but still struggle to see where they could be safely ridden as not allowed on pathways and would be too dangerous on the roads surely?
15.5mph is faster than most people cycle, and cycling is allowed on roads
so I should think it will be fine.As with most of these things, in Europe nobody gives a s
t and you ride them where you want and it works fine. Obviously in nanny state UK we will try and introduce a million laws that are largely pointless and with nobody to enforce them.Who pays when one causes an accident.
I had a near miss the other day when one shot out in front of me and I had to swerve to avoid.
At night, guy in black, no lights. Saying that, even the one's that have lights are hard to see on a dark rainy night.
I ride motorbikes and drive cars as well, and did a short time on a step scooter keeping to paths and pavements.
I had a near miss the other day when one shot out in front of me and I had to swerve to avoid.
At night, guy in black, no lights. Saying that, even the one's that have lights are hard to see on a dark rainy night.
I ride motorbikes and drive cars as well, and did a short time on a step scooter keeping to paths and pavements.
croyde said:
Who pays when one causes an accident.
I had a near miss the other day when one shot out in front of me and I had to swerve to avoid.
At night, guy in black, no lights. Saying that, even the one's that have lights are hard to see on a dark rainy night.
I ride motorbikes and drive cars as well, and did a short time on a step scooter keeping to paths and pavements.
Who pays if its a cyclist on an e-bike?I had a near miss the other day when one shot out in front of me and I had to swerve to avoid.
At night, guy in black, no lights. Saying that, even the one's that have lights are hard to see on a dark rainy night.
I ride motorbikes and drive cars as well, and did a short time on a step scooter keeping to paths and pavements.
Weird how people are not seeing that these are really not much different.
megaphone said:
Yes. Limit to 15mph as per EBikes, no insurance, registration, licence needed, nice easy way to get around a city.
Problem is, like Ebikes, they are easy to 'chip', my mate has just had his bike speed upped to 22mph, although you still have to pedal. Who's going to police it?
Yep, I hardly see chipped ebikes and escooters being pulled over as it is.Problem is, like Ebikes, they are easy to 'chip', my mate has just had his bike speed upped to 22mph, although you still have to pedal. Who's going to police it?
I remember following one ebike for a mile. At the lights, I had a chat - turns out he could do close to 50mph on it but kept it sensible for urban roads (was doing about 30).
They actually aren't tbf...
I've used them now in Malaga, Milan, Cologne and people go wherever they want on them and it works fine. The only negative is that in Malaga for example they are EVERYWHERE, in some places there are tens of them dumped.
Also some are faster than others, I only rent the lime ones as they go 27kph. Uber ones were slow.
I've used them now in Malaga, Milan, Cologne and people go wherever they want on them and it works fine. The only negative is that in Malaga for example they are EVERYWHERE, in some places there are tens of them dumped.
Also some are faster than others, I only rent the lime ones as they go 27kph. Uber ones were slow.
Having been to quite a few places where these things are legal - and indeed there are rental ones lined up you rent with an app (Cracow for example) - they seem great. A lot of people use them right in front of the police in Gibraltar too, despite them being as illegal as in the UK. Personally I'd quite like one, but not until legal and I won't even try one on a public road as if you got an arsey copper it's bye-bye licence (add up all the offences for C&U etc plus no insurance).
We won't see rental e-scooters in the UK I don't think - they'll be stolen in days and council estates will be full of them, once the tracking etc bits have been ripped out. And that's my main concern with them - Britain's feral youth. Town centres will be hell on earth with kids whizzing round on these. Could be a bad move.
We won't see rental e-scooters in the UK I don't think - they'll be stolen in days and council estates will be full of them, once the tracking etc bits have been ripped out. And that's my main concern with them - Britain's feral youth. Town centres will be hell on earth with kids whizzing round on these. Could be a bad move.
The only one I've seen in use is by a 11-12 year old lad who has no road sense and races his mates on their bicycles, often across a T junction with total disregard for traffic.
On the other hand, they're a great way to get around urban areas provided they're used responsibly, I'd definitely use one.
On the other hand, they're a great way to get around urban areas provided they're used responsibly, I'd definitely use one.
Dog Star said:
Having been to quite a few places where these things are legal - and indeed there are rental ones lined up you rent with an app (Cracow for example) - they seem great. A lot of people use them right in front of the police in Gibraltar too, despite them being as illegal as in the UK. Personally I'd quite like one, but not until legal and I won't even try one on a public road as if you got an arsey copper it's bye-bye licence (add up all the offences for C&U etc plus no insurance).
We won't see rental e-scooters in the UK I don't think - they'll be stolen in days and council estates will be full of them, once the tracking etc bits have been ripped out. And that's my main concern with them - Britain's feral youth. Town centres will be hell on earth with kids whizzing round on these. Could be a bad move.
You could easily say the same of rental bikes, but to this data only OFO has pulled out of the market for those issues. Lime got round it by making the sWe won't see rental e-scooters in the UK I don't think - they'll be stolen in days and council estates will be full of them, once the tracking etc bits have been ripped out. And that's my main concern with them - Britain's feral youth. Town centres will be hell on earth with kids whizzing round on these. Could be a bad move.
tholes in London a no-go zone (bit heavy handed IMO as they have done basically all of south and SE London, I have to park about 5 min walk from where I live for this reason). I think we might well see them, they exist in paris, and paris is as busy as London.okgo said:
The ones in Germany have suspension which makes even cobbles ok.
15.5mph is faster than most people cycle, and cycling is allowed on roads so I should think it will be fine.
As with most of these things, in Europe nobody gives a st and you ride them where you want and it works fine. Obviously in nanny state UK we will try and introduce a million laws that are largely pointless and with nobody to enforce them.
Ah, we will be OK post-Brexit, make our own laws etc., do things better than Johnny F. Oh, hang on!15.5mph is faster than most people cycle, and cycling is allowed on roads
so I should think it will be fine.As with most of these things, in Europe nobody gives a s
t and you ride them where you want and it works fine. Obviously in nanny state UK we will try and introduce a million laws that are largely pointless and with nobody to enforce them.Perhaps they should only be introduced to an urban area if/when a city/town centre vehicle ban is in place. Road use only, no pavement riding.
Take my town as an example - Reading. It would be absolutely no hardship for cars to be banned from the area within the IDR (Inner Ring Road). Then using these devices in that area would make absolute sense.
Just thinking aloud, counter points are welcome.
Take my town as an example - Reading. It would be absolutely no hardship for cars to be banned from the area within the IDR (Inner Ring Road). Then using these devices in that area would make absolute sense.
Just thinking aloud, counter points are welcome.
Edited by ElectricSoup on Wednesday 29th January 12:08
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