E-Scooter Rental to be made Legal in UK on Saturday

In the sane week that segways end production.
They are great. Used them all weekend in Hamburg last Summer. However they work well on decent cycle lanes. On the road I would be worried.
 
How far and how fast do these things go. Are they legal on the pavement and on roads? What could possibly go wrong?
 
I wonder why they are legalising rental ones but not private ones? Probably because they can control speeds/modifications easier?

I hope they legalise private ones I really fancy one

I read a comment on the BBC article saying "how long before owners of e-scooters paint them to look like rental ones?". Seems strange to me as the equivalent would seem to be taxis are allowed to be on the road but not private cars.
I'm not a fan of the idea as I don't think we have suitable infrastructure and I can also see people using them on the pavements and in pedestrianised areas.
 
Rental scooters will have a limiter applied on their speed. They will,go now faster than 15.5 mph. Hence the reason Private scooters are still prohibited on public roads.
 
That story above about the tv presenter killed on one of these scooters is very sad. Apparently It was a present from her boyfriend and he now has to live with the fact.
 
You should be and anybody going on these rental scooters should wear a helmet and ideally something high vis around these busy cities.

The issue will be getting used to riding them. I recall we all had to do a cycling proficiency test for safety when we started cycling. In escooters case we will be simply jumping on them and shooting off into traffic from the off.
 
Good article here that sums up the position. Mentions the biggest concern is not so much safety but.

“However, the biggest concern is that like dockless bikes in major cities, these e-scooters will end up on pavements, unfairly obstructing the way for people with disabilities. It is still not clear whether companies will be obliged to fund docking stations for e-scooters or set up a more efficient collecting system if they become more widespread.”

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/escooter-legal-uk
 
Good article here that sums up the position. Mentions the biggest concern is not so much safety but.

“However, the biggest concern is that like dockless bikes in major cities, these e-scooters will end up on pavements, unfairly obstructing the way for people with disabilities. It is still not clear whether companies will be obliged to fund docking stations for e-scooters or set up a more efficient collecting system if they become more widespread.”

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/escooter-legal-uk

The ones I’ve seen on the continent come in two different flavours. Those with docking stations and those without.
For those without you need to take a pic and send it to show you have left it in a safe place.
Doesn’t stop someone else knocking it over to.
Docking stations much better but will add cost
 
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