Government E-scooter scheme gets the green light
The government’s scheme to introduce e-scooters to the UK’s roads is gaining momentum
PART of the UK government’s post-COVID-19 transport strategy was to get people out of cars, and away from mass forms of public transport such as buses and the tube.
Failing to recognise the motorcycle as a viable alternative to these, the UK government is now pushing ahead to implement rental E-scooters across cities in the UK.
The new scheme will feature rental E-scooters, a bit like the Boris’ bikes, that will enable those subscribed to the scheme to rent them for specific periods of time. The system utilises an app on the client’s smartphone that will allow them to scan the bike and note its collection point, ending the hire when they place the bike back into an allocated drop-off point at the other end.
The government proposal would make rental machines legal to ride on the road, while privately owned E-scooters would remain illegal to ride on anything other than private land.
The trial of electric scooters is due to roll out from June 2020 onwards, with interested councils given free-reign to join should they so wish meaning it might not just be the major cities that get them.
Transport secretary, Grant Shapps said on Sunday that any region that wanted to trial electric scooter rental schemes would now be able to make a bid.
“I'm ... fast-tracking trials of e-scooters, bringing this programme already underway for next year forward to next month, and extending those trials from four local authorities to every region in the country that wants them in a bid to get e-scooter rented schemes up and running in cities,” he said.
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
