LL THIS WEEK
Super scooters are here By ETHAN TAYLOR
L
iverpool’s first shop specialising in electric scooters and electric bikes has opened in Bold Street. The opening of the Pure Electric store comes after Liverpool launched a new e-scooter trial three weeks ago, giving people the opportunity to try a new way of getting around the city centre. The year-long pilot scheme which will see 50 of the carbon-neutral vehicles available for hire in the city for people who at least have a provisional driving licence. Sales figures for e-scooters are rising steadily. Tom McPhail, director of public affairs at Pure Electric, told Liverpool Life: “We have already sold tens of thousands of electric scooters.” The government has recognised the potential that e-scooters have and how they can help people in maintaining social distancing whilst commuting and so passed laws this summer allowing the use of rental e-scooters. Public land usage of the carbon-neutral vehicles is still classed as illegal, but Tom believes that will change in the next few years due to the impact that e-scooters can have on the environment. He said: “Legally you cannot ride them on the pavement or the roads, which limits their usage, but that is going to change. “They are a really environmental form of transport, they are more environmentally friendly, from a global warming point of view, than walking. We put more greenhouses gases in the atmosphere from walking than we do generating the electricity to use an electric scooter.” The introduction of electric scooter
stores and hireable electric scooters in Liverpool and cities all over the UK shows how regions are striving to become greener and make their transport networks quicker and more efficient for users. Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said: “I want our area’s transport network to be as cheap, quick and green as possible. E- scooters could offer residents and tourists alike a quick and convenient way to get around the city centre, as happens in many European cities.” Many European cities already use e-scooter transport and Pure Electric recognise that. After opening a store in Liverpool, they are already looking to expand nationally with another store in Cardiff set to open this week and more in the coming months, but they are also looking to expand globally.
T
om McPhail said: “We are opening in Paris and in Madrid and Barcelona. This is growing pretty fast.” He believes that within the next five to ten years it is going to be more convenient to be riding around cities on e-scooters. European cities have already made movements to incorporate low carbon vehicles in their societies, but the UK has been slow to follow the rest of world. He said: “In a lot of places around the world it’s already happening. If you go to Paris, if you go to Frankfurt, if you go to Madrid, there are scooters all over the place. Britain has been pretty slow. We are almost the only country in Europe now that haven’t adopted electric scooter use yet.” But is the reason why the UK haven’t fully incorporated e-scooters in daily lives due to safety concerns?
Where can I ride an e-scooter?
How do I rent one?
E-scooters are currently illegal on public roads, pavements and cycle lanes in the UK. Anyone who may be riding an electric scooter in these places are committing an offence. The only place e-scooters are allowed to be used in the UK is on private land, of course with the permission of landowner. They cannot be used on the roads currently as they do not have visible rear lights for drivers, they do not have number plates and they do not have indicators for signalling where you may be turning.
E-scooters will cost £1 to unlock plus £0.20 per minute that you use them. Unlimited daily and monthly passes will be available for purchase for those who do not want to pay every time they decide to use one. Users will need to have at least a provisional driving licence to hire and ride and e-scooter. Discounted travel passes will be made available to low-income groups. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, all vehicles will be disinfected daily, and handlebars will be wrapped in Shieldex Copper-Tape which killed 99.98% of coronavirus.
Ethan Taylor tries out an e-scooter ©Ethan Taylor Is there potentially a danger to life when riding these scooters in the city? Tom McPhail believes that the scooters do carry risks “from hitting
What are the rules for riding the e-scooters? Helmets are recommended whilst riding the e-scooters but are not compulsory for users. E-scooters are only available for people who are 18 years of age and older. Only one person must ride the scooter at any given time. Users must not use the scooters when under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They are never to be ridden on the pavements.
a pothole, to falling off and skidding on wet leaves or risks to others” but he thinks that risks will always be there, no matter what.
Where will I find them? Shopping and commercial districts University of Liverpool and LJMU campuses Georgian Quarter Liverpool Waterfront Knowledge Quarter
5
