Policing—E scooters

POLICING

E-SCOOTERS — ARE THEY LEGAL?

What are e-scooters?

E-scooters are battery-powered personal transport devices that appear to offer solutions to a wide range of transport policy goals.

Manufacturers claim that e-scooters could help to reduce congestion and improve air quality by getting people out of their cars, while supporting first and last mile transport to and from public transport terminals. For instance, e-scooter ride sharing apps have been launched in many cities around Europe as an offshoot of the now familiar cycle-hire sharing schemes seen in London and the rest of the UK.

E-scooters could also offer a simple and cheap means to get around for those less physically able or mobile.

Are e-scooters legal in the UK?

While it is legal to buy or sell an e-scooter, riding them on public roads, pavements or cycle lanes is against the law.

E-scooters are classed as a ‘powered transporter’ and are covered by the same laws and regulations that apply to all motor vehicles. As such, e-scooters would need to meet the different requirements (e.g. road tax, technical safety standards) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to use public roads lawfully. Currently, e-scooters on the market cannot do so.

Gov.uk says that if manufacturers think their design does meet all the technical requirements needed for power transporters, they can submit it to the Driver and

POLICING (cont)

Vehicle Standards Agency for approval.

Also, the 1988 Act (section 34) together with the Highways Act 1835 (section 72) bans e-scooters (or as the law refers to them ‘mechanically propelled vehicles’ ) from pavements, cycle paths and public footpaths. This means that riders could face a £300 fine and six points on their licence if they use them on public roads or pavements. Riding e-scooters on private land is, however, completely legal –with the landowner’s permission.

Are there plans to change the law?

Not yet, but maybe in due course.

The Government has said it is mindful of evolving technologies and the “blurring of previously long established vehicle definitions.” Accordingly, it has committed to conduct a regulatory review that will consider options for appropriate testing regimes for e-scooters (and other micro mobility vehicles). It expects to consult on initial proposals in the autumn of 2019. Some press reports have seen this as an indication the law will change, but there remain significant safety concerns over “deadly electric scooters” for the safety of riders, pedestrians and other road users.

(article courtesy of David Hirst, House of Commons Library)

ARTICLES

Help for your local sight related projects

Two questions for everyone…

How would you like to help others see? How many old pairs of glasses could you find in miscellaneous places in the house?

If you can answer either or in fact both of these questions, Southall Lions Club needs your help, please.

Lions Clubs in the UK are inviting everyone in the UK to support their 2020 National Appeal and Southall Lions, the magazine’s original sole financial supporter, are appealing to every resident and company in UB6 & UB5 to join in.

So what is involved, how can you help?

• Unwanted or damaged spectacles are collected at one of the following recycling points 1. Gokani Pharmacy, 32 Church Road, Northolt, UB5 5AB 2. Bright Health Pharmacy, 1318 Greenford Road, UB6 0HL 3. Parade Pharmacy, 386 Oldfield Lane North, UB6 8PU • These are then sent to Chichester Lions Club which processes tens of thousands of recycled spectacles each year. All donations are examined by a team of Lions and other volunteers, in a specialist recycling workshop. The sorted spectacles are sent for grading and distribution to a company called Medico France in Le Havre. • Spectacles that can be re-used are sent to eye clinics in Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Nigeria and Nepal. In addition, volunteers from the ‘Unite for Sight’ charity are supplied with spectacles to take with them, on missions to countries across the world. • Scrap metal salvaged from broken and unsuitable spectacles can be used to raise funds which support the sorting operation and has recently enabled Chichester Lions Club to give financial support to eye related projects both in the UK and overseas. To date, Since their project began, over £675k has been generated from recycled materials with over £486k donated to sight related charitable causes and over £76k has been used for projects proposed by other Lions Clubs.