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New ^700,000 electric bike fleet announced by government

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The electric bikes are battery-assisted to make pedalling easier

A new fleet of 234 electric bikes will be available for cyclists to hire at 10 locations across the country.

Paid for out of a ^700,000 Department for Transport fund, the "e-bikes" are battery-assisted to make pedalling easier. The government hopes they will encourage bike use by people who don't cycle regularly or live in hilly areas.

Transport minister Andrew Jones said it was part of a drive to double the number of UK journeys made by bicycle. He added: "Electric bikes are a great way to encourage new people to get into cycling. Cycling helps cut congestion and is a healthy, affordable transport option."

The areas to receive bikes were selected by sustainable transport charity Carplus out of the 34 bids it received.

Tim Caswell of Hourbike, which runs the existing urban bike hire scheme in Oxford, welcomed the funding as a chance to assess the demand for electric bike hire. A number of the existing hire racks in the city will be converted to include charging points for electric bikes.

Mr Caswell said: "There is less physical effort [in using electric bikes], but there is still a benefit to getting people moving outdoors. From a customer point of view there is definitely a demand for e-bikes. Quite what it is, how it compares to conventional pedal bikes and what rental customers are prepared to pay, that has yet to be tested."

On the Isle of Wight, 25 electric hire bikes acquired by Visit Isle of Wight will be aimed at mainland commuters as well as residents and tourists.

Kevin Smith, from the island's chamber of commerce, said: "From an economic perspective, encouraging employees to adopt alternative travel to work schemes will also assist with increasing a company's productivity, as a healthy workforce supports a healthy business."

The new projects have to be in place by March 2016.

A full list of the schemes
- Bristol will get 24 electric bikes at four workplace hubs in self-service, card-opened bike lockers
- Exeter will get 22 electric bikes at railway stations and business parks
- Oxford will add 16 electric bikes to its existing bike hire scheme run in association with Oxfordshire County Council
- Rotherham will get 70 electric bikes to expand a scheme offering bikes to the public via a mobile hub
- The Isle of Wight will get 25 electric bikes at visitor centres in Newport, Ryde and Cowes for tourists and public sector employees
- Hebden Bridge will receive 15 electric bikes for residents, local businesses and tourists to hire from the Hebden Bridge Alternative Energy Centre
- Various housing developments in the east of England will get 18 electric bikes in low income communities
- Eastbourne will get 20 electric bikes connecting the University of Brighton campus in Eastbourne and Eastbourne railway station
- Plymouth and the surrounding area will add 20 electric bikes to an existing hire fleet of 60 aimed at tourists and local commuters
- The New Forest's Pedall scheme will receive four adapted electric bikes for less able people

Electric bike scheme first to be launched in the UK

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The bikes have a range of between 40 and 60 miles, and cost up to £1.50 for half an hour

The UK's first city-wide electric bike scheme has been launched in Exeter.

The "Co-bikes" are currently available from five sites in Exeter, including the central train station, the university and Sowton Park and Ride.

It's hoped that by spring 2017 there will be eight hubs around the city.

The initiative has been launched with support from Department of Transport, while Devon County Council has helped to fund the scheme.

Mark Hodgson, Managing Director of Co-bikes, said: "After years of planning, we're very excited to be launching Co-bikes in Exeter.

"The Co-bikes electric bikes are changing the way that people travel around the city and are affordable and easy as well as being great fun to ride", he added.

For people who choose to become members, the service will cost 75p for 30 minutes, while non-members will pay double.

The bikes have small electric motors which can travel distances of between 40 and 60 miles, and allow speeds of up to 15mph.

Older cyclists who use electric bicycles may be getting the same brain benefits as those on standard bikes.

The new research, published in PLOS One conducted at the University of Reading and Oxford Brookes University found that cyclists between the ages of 50-83 experienced cognitive and mental health benefits from riding a bicycle, whether it was electrically assisted or pedal powered.

Apparently they are more popular than regular bicycles in Holland now! (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/01/bike-country-n0-1-dutch-electric-record-numbers-e-bikes-netherlands)

I think a throttle on an ebike is OK as long as it adjust the power input to the motor (other bikes use a simple + or - to adjust power). This adjust the power of the electric motor from ‘no power’ up to ‘max’ or ‘turbo’ (on Bosch motors).

However the point is that unless the rider turns the pedals and applies pressure the motor will not kick in. So, you ride easily along the flat with minimum power, or no power, and then come to a hill and you can add power so that YOU are putting in the same effort but the motor is helping too.

New regulations allowing trials of rental e-scooters will come into force this weekend, transport minister Rachel Maclean has announced.

The first trials are expected to begin next week. Local authorities and devolved administrations hosting the trials can allow or run the rental schemes in their areas, as outlined in accompanying guidance for areas and rental operators published this week.

The trials are designed to help understand whether the devices reduce motor traffic, as well as their impacts on safety for their users and others. Local residents will soon be able to use e-scooters on roads, cycle lanes and tracks, but they will be strictly prohibited on pavements. E-scooters will be limited to 15.5mph and riders are recommended to wear helmets.

Users will need a full or provisional car, motorcycle or moped licence to take part in the trials, and must be 16 or over. To avoid a flood of poor-quality scooters onto the streets, the regulations only cover rental schemes. Individually owned scooters will still be illegal on public roads.

Big question for me is how is anyone supposed to identify a (legal) rented one against an (illegal) private one?

E-scooters should in my view be encouraged in view of the reduced pollution and congestion compared to cars.

I would subject them to the same limitations on speed, weight, and power output as are applied to electrically assisted cycles. And in general subject to the same rules.
The adoption of electric cycles has NOT led to widespread loss of life or other mayhem, and E-scooters could therefore be treated similarly.

The seafront at Weymouth hosts a wider variety of travel modes on the road and wide esplanade

The first trial of an e-scooter rental scheme in the UK will be held in the North East, a mayor has announced.

One hundred scooters will be available for rent in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool later in July, Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said.

The pilot will start after the government agreed to legalise rental e-scooters on roads.

They will also be allowed on cycle lanes, for riders over 16 who have at least a provisional driving licence.

The scooters will be provided by Ginger, and riders will have to leave the battery-powered vehicle in certain locations for charging.

 Local residents will soon be able to use e-scooters on roads, cycle lanes and tracks, but they will be strictly prohibited on pavements. E-scooters will be limited to 15.5mph and riders are recommended to wear helmets.

Users will need a full or provisional car, motorcycle or moped licence to take part in the trials, and must be 16 or over. To avoid a flood of poor-quality scooters onto the streets, the regulations only cover rental schemes. Individually owned scooters will still be illegal on public roads.

My other concern is potholes. Won't the scooters smaller wheels make the riders more vulnerable to accidents than other road users?

But in the case of Weymouth, fairly large areas of prohibition of bicycles. So will bikes be prohibited but e-scooters acceptable?I

I will be sticking with my pedal cycle; I am unconvinced that allowing eScooters to use cycle paths/lanes - given the potential speed differential - is a good idea. Also does the ban on eScooters using pavements extend to footways which have been changed into shared pedestrian/cycle facilities?

...clearly designated...

In Central London, the TfL bikes are a common sight. Also now increasingly common to see are the dockless hire bikes from other companies scattered inconsiderately along the pavement. I presume e-scooters will need to be docked so they can be charged otherwise they would join this clutter.

My other concern is potholes. Won't the scooters smaller wheels make the riders more vulnerable to accidents than other road users?

E-scooters should be legalised on roads but riding on pavements should be prohibited, the Transport Committee of MPs has said.

Currently, privately-owned e-scooters are banned to use in the UK anywhere except on private land.

The committee argues the vehicles, which usually travel 9-15mph, could offer a green alternative to the car.

Official trials of rented e-scooters have already been announced in some places in England.

E-scooter operator announced for West of England trial scheme

Residents and visitors will soon be able to get around the West of England on e-scooters after Regional Mayor Tim Bowles announced the name of the company appointed to deliver the region?s e-scooter trials.

Voi Technology Ltd will be making hop-on hop-off e-scooters available in Bristol and Bath to help residents and visitors to get around central areas. E-scooters will also be available at other key locations in South Gloucestershire such as stations, university campuses, hospitals and large employment sites.

Full article (https://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/e-scooter-operator-announced-for-west-of-england-trial-scheme/)

Who is going to regulate this? I can't see the police being interested, as most traffic units have been cut almost to the point of non-existence.

It seems eccentric that on this island, exceptionally, these vehicles are not considered safe.

I was, as is my wont, amused by the use of good ol' US Customary units. 15.5 mph is, of course, 25km/h in real money.

The issue of potholes and poor road surfaces is an important one. If a car hits a pothole, the driver is unlikely to be injured. If you hit a pothole on a two-wheeled vehicle the consequences are likely to be rather worse. I fell off an (unpowered) adult-sized scooter recently, and ended up with a shiner and four stitches in my head.

I fell off an (unpowered) adult-sized scooter recently, and ended up with a shiner and four stitches in my head.

Very little regulation is needed in my view, no more than applies to cycles whether electrically assisted or otherwise.
Users should IMHO be subjected to the same rules as cycles.
An E scooter should be subject to the same limits on speed and power as are applied to electrically assisted cycles.

... An E scooter should be subject to the same limits on speed and power as are applied to electrically assisted cycles.

Anyone riding an illegally modified scooter on public roads should be prosecuted, as riders of unduly fast or powerful electrically assisted cycles can be.
If they kill anyone, a prosecution for manslaughter might be reasonable.
I doubt however that it will be a significant problem, any more than is the case with cycles.

If these E scooters are legalised then I foresee a problem if people expect to charge them on trains.

If such persons acquire E scooters ?

'Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?'
'Supposing it didn't,' said Pooh after careful thought.
Piglet was comforted by this.

Rapid charge points for car at service areas / stations / cafes beside trunk roads make sense for longer journeys in those vehicles. Long distance e-cycling and e-scootering is unlikely (?) to be a massive way people get around.

They're just charged from a standard mains socket...

...like the ones on trains.

The power demand for charging an E scooter is indeed modest, anything from 25 watts up to 200 watts.
Still might be a bit much for a system sized for cellphones and the odd laptop, remembering that the E scooters will be in addition to phones and laptops, not instead of these.

True, but not in my view relevant since hairdryers are not meant to be used on most trains.

I'm not sure I would be so bothered about a few e-scooters plugged into the mains on the train as I would be about a few e-scooters on tables and seats close to electric sockets.

Picking an e-scooter at random, I see it is quoted as having a typical range of 21km. It really is hard to imagine a case where someone would ride their scooter anything like this far to a station, and then rely on being able to recharge it on a train. In any case they'd need to stay on the train for 5 hours to recharge it.

Surely most people would ride less than 5km to a station and less than 5km to their final destination, where they would recharge it?

Picking an e-scooter at random, I see it is quoted as having a typical range of 21km. It really is hard to imagine a case where someone would ride their scooter anything like this far to a station, and then rely on being able to recharge it on a train. In any case they'd need to stay on the train for 5 hours to recharge it.

Surely most people would ride less than 5km to a station and less than 5km to their final destination, where they would recharge it?

The redesigned carriage boasts space for tandem cycles, and an e-bike charging socket ? a first for a train in the UK.

I take it all back. O tempora, o mores!

E-SCOOTER HIRE TRIALS BEGIN IN BRISTOL

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One hundred coral-coloured electric scooters can now be hired in Bristol.

Thursday is the first day of a trial scheme for the vehicles, which cost ?1 to unlock via the Voi app and then are charged at 20p per minute to ride.

While privately owned e-scooters remain illegal to use on roads, pavements, parks and any other areas, the e-scooters that are hired or leased through the trial can be used legally on roads, cycle lanes or cycle tracks.

[...continues] (https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/e-scooter-hire-trials-begin-in-bristol/)

Magnet fishing group asked to help retrieve e-scooters
A group that uses magnets to fish metal items out of Birmingham's canals has been asked to help retrieve missing e-scooters.

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Scooter
Marie CollinsCopyright: Marie Collins
A 12-month trial of the devices is taking place across parts of the West Midlands by Swedish company Voi.

Marie Collins, from the Peaky Dippers group, said it had helped fish one from the water and the company had "already told us where there's a few that need pulling out".

A spokesperson from Voi said the company was against any acts of vandalism that could lead to pollution and was developing a "drowning feature" that would alert it immediately when a scooter ended up under water.

Since launching in the city, the company said there had been more than 24,000 rides taken by more than 6,700 unique users.

the vehicles ... cost ?1 to unlock via the Voi app and then are charged at 20p per minute to ride.

Yeah, 20p a minute does seem a lot ...

I would expect to travel far more than 15 miles in 3.5 hours on an electric bike, or even a non-electric one.

Provocative comparison:
Taxi 133p / km = 213p / mile plus overhead
e-Scooter 80p / mile at top speed 15 m.p.h;  average half that = 160p / mile plus overhead
Electric bike - 2000p for 3.5 hours; say 15 miles = 133p / mile includes overhead
Shank's pony - stop for coffee at 250p every 2 hours at 3.5 m.p.h = 37p / mile

Bus Melksham to Trowbridge, 6 miles - 450p = 70p / mile
Train Melksham to Trowbridge, 6 miles - 420p = 75p / mile
Train RETURN  / Melksham to Trowbridge (41p or 38p off peak return)

At 20p / minute (12 pounds per hour) I suspect that speed of docking / undocking and how fast you can travel will be significant and could encourage speed over safety?

We could label these different items, a bit like Trip Advisor and others do, to show relative costs in a simple, easy to understand, pictorial way:
Train             ?
Bus              ??
E-bike          ???
E-scooter     ????

(I never knew that 3 ?'s make a ???!)

Technical note - the additional "Don't use smileys" option on posts allows you to switch this behaviour off for the whole of your post.     Do want just a few cases where ??? actually appears?  If so, you can insert an empty extra tag pair such as start and end italics between the characters which normally make a smiley.

8)  for 8) is the one I most commonly run across ...

Useful modification?
https://inews.co.uk/news/technology/e-scooters-alerts-noise-sensors-warn-pedestrians-safety-746228 (https://inews.co.uk/news/technology/e-scooters-alerts-noise-sensors-warn-pedestrians-safety-746228)
if it happens

The distance between a person?s home and their nearest mass transport hub is often around five miles in rural areas.

There must be some bright ideas from those of us who don't live in large urban areas!

...and it might be worth reiterating here that the kind of cycling infrastructure envisioned by Gear Change will also accommodate people with disabilities (using 3-wheelers, for example), as well as cargo bikes and e-scooters.

...fishermen complain about cyclists and canoeists, pedestrians complain about fishermen and cyclists, and cyclists complain about pedestrians, fishermen, and the pinch points at bridges.

I think the only group you have missed is the dog walkers without a lead (for the dog?)

Oh - Telford.   Straight though for road traffic.  Straight through for trains.  Bends gentle enough for walkers at their pace. Cyclists please slow down in the middle of your journey to take the corners ...

Folding bicycles, which are safely and securely stowed in the designated luggage area in a suitable bag or box, are generally permitted onto our buses if the driver believes that there is sufficient luggage space available. Fixed-frame bicycles are generally not carried on our buses however.

Folding bicycles are welcome on board our buses, however we do ask that you fold them and place them in an appropriate space. For everyone?s comfort and safely, we ask you to make sure they?re not blocking the aisles or access to any seats.

However there are instances when it may not be possible to accept folding bikes, for example:
* If there isn?t enough space on the bus
* When your folding bicycle could make the inside of the bus or its seats dirty, or could cause discomfort to other customers
Due to space and safety considerations, standard non-folding bicycles cannot be carried on our buses.

In some areas, you can take your bike on the bus. Please contact the local team in your area and they'll be happy to advise. However, if your bike folds up, can be stored in a suitable bag or box, can fit within the luggage pen on the bus, and you can lift it in and out yourself, it can be brought on at the driver's discretion.

... electric mobility scooters? Disability Discrimination Act?

Anyone given an e-scooter as a Christmas gift should return it, a senior Met officer has said.

The devices have proved popular gifts even though privately-owned e-scooters are illegal to use on roads or in public places.

Ch Supt Simon Ovens said buying an e-scooter as a present was "crazy" because they were a danger to riders and others.

"They're simply not built for our roads," he added.

Ch Supt Ovens said he was not against new technology being introduced but Scotland Yard "really don't want more deaths".

The Met is keen to support a trial on rental e-scooters as they would be "a bit safer and more compliant", he added.

POLICE PRAISE E-SCOOTER TRIAL AFTER FEARING 'TWISTED METAL AND BODIES SCATTERED ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY'

Police chiefs have been won over by the region's e-scooter trials after initially fearing 'twisted metal and bodies scattered all over the highway', it has been revealed.

Avon & Somerset Constabulary traffic management unit boss Richard McKiernan told a remote meeting that he had expected carnage on roads and pavements during the West of England Combined Authority's (WECA's) pilot project.

Instead it has been a 'policing non-event' and he has been 'massively reassured' by the trial, which metro mayor Tim Bowles says will become vital in how we move around the region for generations to come.

...continues (https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/police-praise-e-scooter-trial-after-fearing-twisted-metal-and-bodies-scattered-all-over-the-highway/)

From Bristol 247: (https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/police-praise-e-scooter-trial-after-fearing-twisted-metal-and-bodies-scattered-all-over-the-highway/)

I saw two people using them today. I think they'd just activated the app and unlocked them.

Yeah, 20p a minute does seem a lot compared to ?1 an hour for the Yo bikes (which of course aren't electric) or even to a bus fare.

Bristol’s dockless bicycle hire scheme is no more, with YoBike quietly pulling the plug on their operations in the city.

The YoBike website has been deleted but the app is still available to download.

Customers across Bristol are now asking how they can get money back which is still on their accounts within the YoBike app.

Bikes from failed ReadyBike hire scheme used for tourism boost

Bicycles left over from a failed hire scheme are being donated to hotels in a bid to boost tourism.

The ReadyBike scheme in Reading ended in 2019 after struggling when a government subsidy ended.

It emerged Reading Borough Council had been keeping the scheme running at a cost of £10,000 a month.

The council said it was donating 50 redundant bikes as a "new sustainable travel option" for hotel visitors and staff.

The stock of ReadyBikes has been kept in storage since the bike hire scheme ended two years ago.

The bikes were also offered to key workers in Reading as part of a short-term loan scheme during the pandemic.

Reading's hotels had suffered from lockdowns restricting overnight stays, with some losing almost an entire year's income, the council said.

Nigel Horton Baker of Reading UK, which promotes tourism in the Berkshire town, said the donation was "very welcome" for the "hard-hit tourism and hospitality sector" which has been curtailed with lockdowns restricting overnight stays.

"With business visitor numbers decimated, it is vital that Reading's hotels are able to attract leisure visitors this year.

"Promoting Reading as a healthy and safe outdoor destination will be an important strand of this work," he added.

HIRE SCOOTERS REMOVED FROM AREAS OF CLIFTON VILLAGE

The menace of a melee of hire scooters has led to complaints that the vehicles are regularly blocking pavements across Bristol.

Voi vehicles need to be parked by users in specific places, but some of these “geofenced” areas are on narrow pavements.

Cliftonwood resident Jess Siggers said that she “frigging hates these things”, referring to the e-scooters and tweeting a photo of more than a dozen them blocking the pavement on Sion Hill close to the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

[...]

The e-scooter operator is now exploring new user features to ensure scooters are correctly parked and has launched a page where people can report any misplaced scooters: www.voiscooters.com/report/uk

Full article (https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/hire-scooters-removed-from-areas-clifton-village/)

My last mail made it clear we do not on principle accept cycle racks on the front of British PSVs. If a VTP5 was submitted for this vehicle modification it would be refused because of the large number of sharp projections from the rack itself as well as any cycles carried increasing the risk of injury in a pedestrian impact. As a secondary issue I consider the view to the front will be seriously compromised towards the nearside pavement where we want drivers to have a clear view of any relatively short people including children at the kerbside.

E scooter hire to be expanded.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48106617 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48106617)

A good thing in my view, there will of course be accidents, but hopefully not too many.
Cycling and walking also results in accidents but these modes of transport are tolerated and even encouraged.

With the current concerns about climate change and fossil fuel depletion, we need to encourage use of E-scooters and other very low carbon options such as E-bikes.

In my view private E scooters should be allowed, not just rental machines. They should be subject to the same limits on speed as are E- cycles.

E-scooters and E-bikes of greater speed and power should NOT be totally prohibited, but should be treated as motorcycles, and require a motorcycle licence, hard hat, and insurance.

No such should be required for low speed machines.

Those on offer in 4 London Boroughs are limited to 15mph and require the hirer to have a car licence, not motorcycle licence.

I would suspect the car license is chosen because it's a commonly held license that requires you to know rules of the road and to have been passed as reasonably competent.  Fewer people hold motorcycle licenses, so to require one of those instead, though probably closer in skill needs to an e-scooter, would limit the market of possible renters.   I couldn't find stats for the numbers of licenses, but I did find a page telling me that motorcycle miles are about one hundredth of car miles.

Helmets are not compulsory, but anyone choosing not to wear one clearly has little worth protecting in their head.

I understand why people wish to use [helmets or hi-vis]. But these actions seek to deal with an effect. I want to focus the debate on the cause, and campaign for things that will really make cycling safe. That is why I won’t promote high-vis and helmets – I won’t let the debate be drawn on to a topic that isn’t even in the top 10 things that will really keep people who want to cycle safe.

I would suspect the car license is chosen because it's a commonly held license that requires you to know rules of the road and to have been passed as reasonably competent.  Fewer people hold motorcycle licenses, so to require one of those instead, though probably closer in skill needs to an e-scooter, would limit the market of possible renters.   I couldn't find stats for the numbers of licenses, but I did find a page telling me that motorcycle miles are about one hundredth of car miles.

A study of 248 people injured in Berlin revealed that 1 in 4 of those injured whilst riding scooters were admitted to hospital, 1 in 5 who came off were over the drink drive limit (of whom 31% sustained traumatic brain injuries), and only 1 in 100 were wearing a helmet.
The study concluded that helmets should be compulsory, there should be a minimum age limit of 18, a ban on alcohol no driving on pavements and strict adherence to traffic regulations.
Let's hope we take all that on board. Protecting one's brain is probably worth a little minor inconvenience.

A study by the BGGG* showed that 1 in 4 of those injured whilst walking were admitted to hospital. And that 1 in 5 pedestrians who fell over had exceeded the drink drive limit. (31 % of whom suffered traumatic brain injuries) and that negligible numbers of pedestrians were wearing helmets.
The study concluded that helmets should be compulsory for walking, that persons under 18 should not walk unless under supervision, and that alcohol should be banned.
It was further concluded that a life preserver should be worn if walking within 100 meters of open water.

*Broad Gage Green Group, affiliated to the BBTB and the P and S group.

I rather liked a remark on another forum about encouraging green transport choices.

"So, to not drive, I will have to pay to learn to drive a car and obtain a car licence, before I am allowed to ride a scooter"

I rather liked a remark on another forum about encouraging green transport choices.

"So, to not drive, I will have to pay to learn to drive a car and obtain a car licence, before I am allowed to ride a scooter"

This was an issue I was going to raise, as it affects me amongst others. I don't have a driving licence as I have no wish to drive. I'm not actually that interested in hiring an e-scooter either, but the whole issue of driving licences being needed where some form of ID is required is a common problem for me, and I feel it is actually a form of discrimination.

I dont have a passport, then what? Some form of ID card, with your vaccination status on it....

Walking is what I generally do now, and for some reason the Christchurh area of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area for the Beryl bike scheme, does not allow the scooters anyway.

I dont have a passport, then what? Some form of ID card, with your vaccination status on it....

Sadly, there has been another death of a rider, according to a number of reports, including MSN News (https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newsbirmingham/aspiring-rappers-tragic-death-in-e-scooter-crash-has-brought-people-together-says-mum/ar-AALh6nu?ocid=uxbndlbing). It wasn't a licenced scooter. Another person was critically injured after an accident on a licenced e-scooter yesterday in Newcastle, according to The Sun (https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15342406/man-fighting-for-his-life-after-escooter-crash/).

Shocking, but not surprising.

Without figures to tell us the rates of death and injury per 1000 km, we can't tell whether these figures are worse than other modes of transport or better.

E-scooter rider risks losing driving licence after crashing while twice the alcohol limit
They now face losing their licence after being caught under the influence following the collision
An e-scooter rider was caught by police being twice the alcohol limit after a crash in Bristol

They now face losing their licence after being caught under the influence following the collision.

The crash happened on Wednesday (June 23).

Police issued a warning on social media in a tweet which said: "A reminder that you can be arrested for drink driving while using an electric scooter.

"This rider was involved in a road traffic collision on Weds evening in Bristol, blew 75 (legal limit 35) at the roadside and risks losing his licence for a year."

...continues (https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/e-scooter-rider-risks-losing-5586562)

This sounds overly strict to me.
As far as I know the rider of a cycle (including an electrically assisted type) is not liable to breathalyzer testing nor to loss of their car driving licence if found riding whilst drunk.

It's a motor vehicle, so is subject to the same Road Traffic Act.

(This removes possibly the only reason why I would ever ride one)

And yet electrically assisted cycles do not seem to be regarded as motor vehicles.

What is it with Bristolians and throwing things in docks?

Statues, bicycles.............now scooters?

Perhaps the fish should be issued with hard hats?  ;)

Fish? In Bristol's docks? I think you are being a tad optimistic. Don't be fooled by the anglers lined up by the outfall, they're really just gnomes.  :D

Talking of throwing scooters around, soon after they were introduced here in Bath, I saw one man who was walking down a road where some were parked, and as he was passing he picked one up, raised it above his head, and then sent it crashing down onto the others. Must admit I couldn't believe it, as it was the middle of the day and plenty of people around. He then calmly continued walking past as if that was a perfectly reasonable action.

Presumably they know whom hired each scooter and therefore whom threw it into the dock rather than returning it.

They aren't physically locked to anything after use. Who last hired it and who Colstoned it could very easily be two (or more) different people.

E-scooter boy, 16, ‘killed by driver on wrong side of road’ in Bromley
John Dunne 

A teenage e-scooter rider was killed after being hit by a car travelling on the wrong side of the road at high speed, witnesses claimed on Monday.

The 16-year-old was thrown 30 yards down the street after the collision in Southborough Lane, Bromley, south London, at 1.20am on Sunday,

An off duty nurse tried to save his life but he died later in hospital. His e-scooter was stolen from the scene.

Shock headline news in Slough - An elderly gentleman has been filmed deliberately knocking the scooters only!

The Slough Observer is on the case.

https://www.sloughobserver.co.uk/news/19572517.e-scooters-pushed-elderly-man-walking-stick-slough/

I'm not entirely sure what qualifies as news these days but I suppose it makes a change from photos of angry residents pointing at things they don't like.  :)

Shock headline news in Slough - An elderly gentleman has been filmed deliberately knocking the scooters only!

This is so shocking I don't think I will ever be able to sleep ever again. What has the world come to, when someone can knock over an inanimate object, just because some inconsiderate person chooses to dump the scooter in the middle of the pavement, what kind of monster is he. This is the start of the breakdown of society, in 10 or 20 years we will have people stabbing and shooting each other indiscriminately. Thank you Observer for bringing this important shocking horrific incident to our attention. With such brilliant journalism hopefully we can save humanity.

There's a very well coordinated smear campaign against escooters going on across all UK media for at least a year now. Rarely do I see anyone praising this new form of pollution-free transport. The bias is so heavily against them that it seems the goal is to turn public opinion against them to prevent legislation being passed in favour of their use. And from the actions of this man and the earlier comments in this thread and others in many online articles it seems that are being successful. Ask yourself - who gets to benefit if escooters remain illegal and we are forced back into our cars for even the shortest journeys? Based on the news you've seen over the last year, would you say that you find yourself turning more and more against them even though you personally haven't had any negative experience with them that would have made you feel that way. There's an agenda here folks. The purpose of all these articles against escooters seems very much to be to control how you think about them. Is it working?

I largely agree with the second comment, regarding a hidden agenda against E scooters.

Not certain WHY this should be though ? They seem to tolerate electric cycles which are in many ways comparable. Why is a car licence required to operate an E scooter but not an E cycle ?

Anyone can purchase and use an E cycle, so why the restrictions on the E scooters ?

Electrically assisted cycles require you to do some of the work by peddling. Electrically powered cycles are classed as motor vehicles as no human power input is used. There is a very significant difference. Escooters are solely powered by electricity and are thus motor vehicles in law.

But ARE E scooters propelled solely by electric power ?

Many electrical assisted cycles can be moved by electricity alone without use of the pedals. AFAIK this design is legal subject to a limit on maximum speed under power.

E-scooters injuries in Berkshire revealed in new figures (https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/19694893.e-scooters-injuries-berkshire-revealed-new-figures/)

South Central Ambulance Service provided information of the 43 reports following a freedom of information request submitted by the Bracknell News.

To give an idea of how significant that figure of 43 is, did they ask for the number of reports of accidents involving pedestrians and cars during that same period (however long it was?)

Hundreds of e-scooters were burnt in a ‘significant’ New Year’s Day fire in Bristol.

The rental devices were damaged after the blaze broke out in a warehouse in the suburb of Brislington at around 12.30pm.

Avon Fire and Rescue Service (AFRS) said they were on the scene for more than seven hours, leaving the industrial unit at 7.45pm.

The unit was being used to store hundreds of pink Voi e-scooters – a popular mode of transport in the city which can be found on most street corners........

200 rental e-scooters have been burnt in a warehouse blaze in Bristol.

What CAUSED the fire ? was it a lithium battery in a scooter, or some unrelated event with the scooters being merely collateral damage.

I await the headlines confirming the huge fire risk of e-scooters, with 33% of the fleet having gone up in smoke within 2 years ...

We know there are fire risks to lithium batteries but we also know those risks can be controlled, and in the commonest consumer items, they are. It's very rare for a fire to start from a laptop or phone battery, for instance. I've heard of fires from cheap Chinese bike lights bought on Ali Express or Ebay, but not from those made by manufacturers with reputations (that includes Chinese manufacturers like Fenix as well as the Americans or Japanese etc). Electric scooters are probably found at various points on this scale...

Rare indeed, given that almost 2.4 billion mobile phones and an unknown number of other Li batteries do not catch fire each day. It's the "almost" that is the problem, and the laws of physics dictate that it will be in Bristol.

Halfords has pledged to offer any rail commuter with a valid season ticket the use of one of their e-bikes while the current rail disruption is ongoing.

While I'm on the Active Travel section, a small point but one that irks me. Can I just point out that e-scooters are not 'active travel', and are not akin to cyclists or walkers. They are electrically powered vehicles, ...

IMO, E-scooters are slightly active travel, more so than driving or sitting on a train ...

...there's a personal element there in that using a e-scooter requires a certain physical health...

So does sitting upright in an armchair in front of the telly with a fag in the corner of the mouth, beer in one hand and a Big Mac in the other. With fries. But I'm not advocating moving the thread, which sounds too much like hard work.

Yes, but that isn't travel ... except in a virtual way to places on the telly, or in a more conceptual way towards ill health.

The grouping tends to be "Active and Sustainable Travel" which apart from the obvious active ones includes rail, bus and taxi (don't tend to agree with the latter), so e-scooters would probably come under that category? When you come to electric cars??

Who's going to enforce any new regulations?

Is it the sign of a modern and authoritarian society that there's a heavy network of rules and regulations put in to place, many of which are impractical and largely ignored, especially by those who are associates of the rule setters, but then brought into play by others for whom they offer a mechanism.

These comment could relate to anything from people who have failed to follow the Covid rules, though to those people who fail to show their railcard when purchasing tickets with railcard discounts (I have always felt pretty stupid waving a railcard at the ticket machine a my local station to satisfy their rule!!)

In other words, expect a few token, headline cases, and perhaps a couple of road / path block in high profile places to show authority to act ...

Yes. Let's stop pretending we can decide whether these things exist or not, and instead think about how we adapt them to us and us to them.

I have been in Gibraltar today and it was good to see escooters in regular traffic use. 

So "escooters" is what scooters are called in Spanish, is it?

I have been in Gibraltar today and it was good to see escooters in regular traffic use.   A google search took me to https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2020/05/27/new-rules-for-e-scooters-in-gibraltar-as-parking-scheme-gets-green-light/ which explains the background.  Might be a similar basis for the setting up of things in the UK?

Umm I didn't think that Spanish was an official language in Gibraltar

I'll just leave this here. Many other similar examples are available.....

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/mar/21/14-year-old-girl-dies-after-crash-with-van-while-riding-e-scooter-in-london

But you can ride an e-bike, which in law has the same maximum speed*, at 14. And in many countries you can legally ride a moped, with a top speed double that, at the same age.

*Strictly speaking an electrically assisted pedal cycle has no maximum speed, and is not subject to speed limits, but the electric assistance should cut out at 15mph.

Riders must ...hold a full provisional driving licence...

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/20130248.e-scooters-reading-man-fined-riding-across-reading/ (https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/20130248.e-scooters-reading-man-fined-riding-across-reading/)

All I can say is he was extremely unlucky, there are hundreds of them round Reading, plus motorised bicycles (especially round Whitley) and Traffic Police are noticeable by there complete absence in Reading. I imagine he must have been doing something else to catch the police's attention.

Can anyone explain to me what a full provisional driving licence is? Is it the same thing as a provisional full driving licence?

E-scooters: Thames Valley Police responds to claims of 'no action' (https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/20159276.e-scooters-thames-valley-police-responds-claims-no-action/)

THE BOSS of Thames Valley Police says his force will always look to investigate when harm has been caused by an e-scooter rider.

n e-scooter rider died following a collision with a car in Tower Hamlets.

Officers rushed to Manilla Street at 5.40pm on Sunday following reports of a crash.

The rider, a 32-year-old man, was taken to an east London hospital.

Despite the best efforts of medical staff he was pronounced dead at 8.35pm.

His family have been informed.

The driver of the blue Kia failed to stop at the scene. The vehicle has now been located but enquiries are ongoing to track down the driver.

This video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbyIAm6OZqo) of a young lady pouring a cup of tea whilst riding a prototype escooter (and hands-off and one-legged) aims to demonstrate the vehicle's stability. Though Hanna Rosa cautions against some of her own antics, I wonder whether riders of less-stable machines may be tempted to emulate her. And her "test-track" looks remarkably smooth compared with the reality of roads and pavements. How would the prototype cope with these, I wonder.

Hmmm, makes you really proud to live in Bristol! :(

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristols-big-issue-bike-rental-7481316

I was quite surprised by that.

I do wonder though, what it is that may make the eBikes more of a target than Voi eScooters.

For those who ride them, they can prove incredibly useful; when the subway is packed or the buses are stuck in rush-hour traffic, they can be the last-minute option that miraculously gets them to work and to appointments on time.

But for many, the devices are a scourge that can clutter pavements, end up at the bottom of a river, or worse, cause deadly accidents.

This month, the deputy mayor of Paris, David Belliard called shared e-scooters “very cumbersome, accident-prone and anti-environmental” and his Green party even called for them to be banned from the city when the operators’ contract expires in February 2023.

Now these operators – Dott, TIER and Lime – are fighting back and joining forces to make the case that the 15,000 e-scooters they manage are not to blame for all the evils in the city.

Operators say that 96 per cent of the devices are now parked where they should be – and not getting in the way of pedestrians by lying haphazardly on pavements.

That’s mostly because geo-tracking software now prevents users from ending their ride on the app unless they are inside one of the city’s 2,500 dedicated parking areas.

In parallel, a special patrol tours Paris every day to reposition those that aren’t or have fallen over.

A Harris Interactive survey commissioned by Dott, Tier and Lime earlier this year found that if e-scooters were banned in Paris, 35 per cent of users said they would replace their trips with a personal car or would use a ride-hailing app like Uber.

Would these riders walk more? Not necessarily, say operators, noting that the average e-scooter ride in Paris is 3.2 km – which would take over an hour to cover on foot.

They present e-scooters more as a way to relieve public transport during the morning and evening rush hours.

If this geofencing for parking actually works, can it be brought across the Channel please? And extended to cars too.

The claim is often made that e-scooters take people off public transport and to an extent from walking rather than out of cars. These figures would seem to roughly support that. But they're also looking at it the other way; not "where did scooter riders come from?" but "now they are here, where would they go if we got rid of them?"

illegal escooterist sues council (https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/finance/news/illegal-e-scooter-rider-sues-124019942.html)

On reading the headline, my first reaction was that the woman might have a case, whether or not she was using the machine illegally. But then I read: '“Because it was dark I couldn’t see the hole,” she said.'

Which surely raises the question of what lights, if any, she had on her escooter. I think that some are sold with a tiny rear light and that it should be possible to fix a lamp on the front. How visible was she to other road users and pedestrians?

(She better not try riding down my road: in places two inches of the surface have worn away.)

Tat link isn’t working for me?

Avanti West Coast has issued a ban on e-scooters across all its trains and stations over safety fears.

The train operator said that from Tuesday 27 December the devices will be prohibited because of the risk posed by the lithium-ion batteries that are normally in e-scooters. It said these batteries can produce “a vapour of toxic gases and lead to a fire or a risk of explosion” if they become damaged or overheated.

The ban covers e-scooters and hoverboards, but mobility scooters, electric wheelchairs and e-bikes are exempt from the policy.

Dave Whitehouse, safety and security director at Avanti West Coast, said: “At Avanti West Coast the safety of our staff and customers comes first. The risks associated with e-scooters are a significant concern and are why we are banning them at our stations and onboard our trains.

“This temporary ban is to preserve the safety of our colleagues and customers until there is greater regulation on e-scooters. We ask our customers to adhere to these new rules and be kind to our staff helping to enforce them, so we can keep everyone safe.”

Despite their ubiquity across cities in England, riding a privately owned e-scooter on public roads is against the law. However, there are legal trials of rental e-scooters in dozens of towns across the UK where the device can be ridden on the road and in cycle lanes. The trials started in July 2020 and due to delays caused by Covid, have been extended to May 2024.

E-scooters were banned last year by Transport for London across the network, citing safety risks after a number of battery fires.

The announcement of Avanti West Coast’s ban came on the same day a coroner issued a warning about e-scooter safety after the death of a 14-year-old girl. Fatima Abukar was riding a privately owned e-scooter on 21 March last year on the pavement in East Ham in east London before entering the carriageway and colliding with a minibus. She fell beneath its wheels and died from “catastrophic head injuries”, the inquest heard.

The east London senior coroner Graeme Irvine said deaths from e-scooter crashes more than doubled after police changed policy to confiscate fewer of the devices.

He issued a report to the home secretary, Suella Braverman, and the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, asking them to take action to prevent future deaths.

East Midlands Railway (EMR) has banned e-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards at all its stations and on its trains due to potential safety threats.

Electric wheelchairs and e-bikes are exempt from the ban – as are mobility scooters for those with access needs.

The new rule was introduced today (19 December) to stop threats posed when the lithium-ion batteries used to power the scooters overheat.

When the batteries get too hot, there is no way of stopping the temperature building or extinguishing the fire until the reaction has finished. Subsequently, a large amount of potentially toxic smoke is emitted, and flames often produced.

This could cause a fire or serious harm to customers and staff on trains and platforms.

Katie Arthur, Head of Safety at East Midlands Railway, said: “After some consideration, and in line with other partners in the rail industry, we are bringing in a ban on e-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards from December 19.

“These devices, which are often not approved for use in the UK, pose a potential risk as they contain lithium-ion batteries that are sometimes known to overheat.

“We understand that these devices are popular, but the safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority.”

From The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/dec/22/avanti-west-coast-ban-e-scooters-trains-stations-safety-fears?utm_term=63a56a6b17e955af30b0e74af0af300c&utm_campaign=BusinessToday&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=bustoday_email)

Vehicles to be banned due to batteries that can produce ‘vapour of toxic gases and lead to fire or risk of explosion’


Mobility scooters, e-bikes & electric wheelchairs are exempt and can still be used though.

Berkshire e-bike and e-scooter fires on the rise (https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/23255601.berkshire-e-bike-e-scooter-fires-rise/)

...caused by a recently purchased e-bike charger from a popular online marketplace.

New e-scooter rental scheme in Bristol will see parking spaces on roads instead of pavements

The contract to run Bristol's e-scooter scheme is up for renewal and could see major changes

A new e-scooter rental scheme in Bristol will see parking spaces move onto roads in designated spots instead of on pavements. The new rental scheme, expected to be brought in around spring or summer this year, will likely also include electric bicycles as well as e-scooters.

Swedish company Voi has operated rentable e-scooters in Bristol in a trial beginning in October 2020. But the scheme could soon be taken over by a new company, as the West of England has asked operators to bid for a long-term contract across the wider region.

Bristol City Council is planning to address some issues on “parking and rider behaviour” with the current Voi e-scooters by shifting parking spaces from virtual spots on pavements onto clearly marked areas on the road. The cabinet is due to sign off these plans on January 24.

...continues (https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/new-e-scooter-rental-scheme-8042440)

The issue is "extremely divisive", mayor Anne Hidalgo told the weekend edition of Le Parisien newspaper, with critics saying riders show only cursory respect for the rules of the road.

They often defy bans on riding on pavements, or park without consideration, while some abandon the scooters in parks or even toss them into the Seine river.

Fans meanwhile praise the zippy fleets -- totalling 15,000 scooters operated by companies Lime, Dott and Tier -- as a fast, non-polluting alternative to cars or crowded public transport.

Hidalgo said Paris residents would be asked "a very simple question" in the referendum planned for April 2: "Do we or don't we continue with free-floating rental scooters?"

The mayor said she herself was leaning towards a ban but would "respect Parisians' vote".

A ban would make Paris an exception among major cities...

Hidalgo told Le Parisien meanwhile that privately owned scooters, also hugely popular in the capital, were not targeted in the referendum. They are "not a problem", she said.

When I was last in Paris (2019), I did find some very crowded bits of pedestrian space (mostly corners of squares) where cyclists already made things scary by coming at you from unexpected directions. Scooters did make that worse, just by being slightly different in size, shape, speed etc. But that's Paris - the environment isn't the same in Bristol (or Wokingham!) so the the issues won't be quite the same wither.

Glad it wasn't your mother, Broadgage.

Sorry, one further death is a death that need not have happened.

Cycles are not meant to be used on the pavement, but enforcement of this is rare.

Reason: https://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/support-for-police-discretion-when-responding-to-people-cycling-on-the-pavement (https://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/support-for-police-discretion-when-responding-to-people-cycling-on-the-pavement)

Which, in general, means because of lack of resources it generally is not enforced (except just before local government elections?)

Part of the problem is we muddied the waters by allowing shared pedestrian and cycle pavements.  Since then it seems we have some cyclists regarding all pavements as accessible. 

This report states that 14 year old riding a privately owned E-scooter has been convicted after a fatal accident.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-64892358 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-64892358)

This is said to be the first pedestrian fatality resulting from E-scooter use, which would seem to confirm my view that the risks are so small as to be acceptable. We do accept the use of cycles after all, a somewhat comparable transport mode. Cycles are not meant to be used on the pavement, but enforcement of this is rare.

To be more precise, Paris has voted to ban hired e-scooters. Private ones are still legal – so it's the exact opposite of the UK legal situation!

To be more precise, Paris has voted to ban hired e-scooters. Private ones are still legal – so it's the exact opposite of the UK legal situation!

Also, I'm not sure what the legal definition of Paris is, but with only 1.38 million electorate, it's clearly only a small part of the metropolitan area. And as for the turnout, clearly most people aren't bothered one way or the other.

There is some logic in the Paris approach. One of the big issues with hire scooters is having them left laying around all over the place, whereas with a private scooter more care will be taken of them.  Another is that riders will tend to be more committed and experienced and know better what they are doing.  Of course, one disadvantage of the Paris approach is that it reduced commercial opportunity.

Indeed - as is often the case, most of those with strong enough feelings to go out and vote were antis. Given that the main arguments have been about safety, that's not a surprise. It's hard to say what they think about private ones - that owners would be more careful riders, or that there would never be many of them (even if hiring is no longer possible), or what. Nor is it possible to compare that with here, since we have the inverse problem: riders of private scooters are a sample biased towards being irresponsible.

Administrative Paris (département 75) is Paris "intra muros", where the wall was Adolphe Thiers's one of the 1840s. After failing spectacularly to do anything useful in 1870, it was taken down - mostly in the 1920s - and slowly replaced by various things, including a huge number of sporting facilities, and the péripherique.  When you walk across the gap to the banlieu outside, the contrast in the style of buildings, street layout, nature of the shops, etc, is in some  places quite stark.

Great Western Railway is banning all passengers from carrying electric scooters on services or stations.

Customers will no longer be able to take e-scooters on to Great Western Railway trains or stations which the company operates from Sunday, May 21.

This will include Swindon railway station as well as others in Wiltshire such as Chippenham, Trowbridge and Westbury.

The company said it was concerned over the fire risk posed by lithium batteries.

In an update to its policy, it said: "This follows a number of incidents on the UK rail and tube network where lithium-ion batteries in e-scooters have been associated with severe overheating, increasing the risk of fire.

"If unchecked, this carries particular risks in enclosed spaces on board trains."

The firm said the ban was because of the current lack of regulation around e-scooters.

GWR has now announced a ban on electric scooters on board and at stations.

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/traffic/23529077.gwr-bans-e-scooters-stations-due-safety-fears/ (https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/traffic/23529077.gwr-bans-e-scooters-stations-due-safety-fears/)


(Continues in link above)

GWR has now announced a ban on electric scooters on board and at stations.

From 21 May, 2023, customers will no longer be able to bring e-Scooters onto GWR trains or stations.

This follows a number of incidents on the UK rail and tube network where lithium-ion batteries in e-Scooters have been associated with severe overheating, increasing the risk of fire.

If unchecked, this carries particular risks in enclosed spaces on board trains.

Unlike other personal mobility devices such as e-bikes or mobility scooters, e-Scooters are not currently regulated, and are not required to meet minimum safety standards for vehicles.

Customers bringing e-Scooters onto GWR trains or stations will be asked to leave. Unattended e-Scooters will be treated as abandoned and will be safely disposed of.

Yes, but those rules relate to riding the things. What we lack in this case is product safety legislation and standards. Presumably there is some for the hired scooters, but those are less likely to be taken on trains, and the private e-scooters are back to Victorian free-for-all.

Suffolk Trading Standards has warned that growing numbers of e-bikes and e-scooters are being seized or refused entry to the UK due to safety concerns. It says that in the past two years over 13,000 e-scooters and e-bikes have been seized at the Port of Felixstowe alone.

As well as the seizures, 9,000 e-scooters have also been refused entry by its Imports Surveillance team for failing to meet the requirements for marking, instructions, and essential safety documentation.

In a large proportion of cases, officers found that batteries and chargers for the vehicles posed a serious risk of fire or electric shock.
...

From 21 May 2023, customers will no longer be able to bring e-Scooters onto GWR trains or stations.

The notices I have seen in GWR stations, and from what I've heard on local media, have all stated that they are not allowed on all GWR services, so I have been assuming it is a specific GWR ban.

Has there been any national advice or is it a GWR initiative?

Is this a blanket ban across all operators, and if so have I missed something on National Rail or Network Rail?

that one does look a bit of a bodge, it might in fact be safe, but I can understand the train manager being cautious.

The main risk is lithium batteries, and NOT untidy looking electric wiring.

That does look horrendous and I wouldn't give it house room (the e-bike wiring, not the lovely paint job on the Class 57!).

As an Electrical Engineer "untidy looking electric wiring" raises a red flag immediately to me. If the person doing the job cannot (or doesn't) do a "tidy" job then I would immediately worry about the quality of that person's subject knowledge..............if it looks cheap and nasty................!!  Expensive lithium batteries are problematic (ask Boeing, batteries from Yuasa !) - cheap (and nasty) ones are potentially lethal.

As so often first impressions are vital.

To combine with another bete noir of mine, put your folding bike in a bag on the bus. Could hide all sorts of nasties?

E-bike and e-scooter fires are the fastest-growing fire risk in London: statistics indicate there have been at least 40 this year.

The likes of Just Eat and Deliveroo need coming down on hard as their riders routinely use illegally modified e-bikes without helmets and lights at far too high speeds.

The likes of Just Eat and Deliveroo will just say not our problem, they "employ" a person to deliver stuff, the means by which that that person achieves the delivery is that persons

The likes of Just Eat and Deliveroo will just say not our problem, they "employ" a person to deliver stuff, the means by which that that person achieves the delivery is that persons

Said batteries need regulating too....

They have to be banned unless regulation-use batteries are used, simple.
Registration maybe required as someone will die otherwise from use of unregulated battery explosion

These batteries are invariably imported from places of doubtful reputation. The makers will apply whatever approval marks or certificates that are required for the intended market. including CE marking, UL listed, or any other standard.

Better regulation and clearer laws will no doubt help - the current free-for-all cannot continue. 

If you pass laws that make JustEat and the like directly responsible for ensuring their riders use proper equipment (perhaps by supplying it, or offering incentive schemes through approved retailers) and don't break the law then that will help enormously IMHO.  Forcing them to provide proper contracts of employment rather than treating them as contractors and letting them get on with sourcing their own bikes and (lack of) equipment will also help.  Being paid per delivery only encourages them to buy unsuitable equipment and ride it irresponsibly.

It might end up making their businesses unviable which is tough.

(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/4d04/live/2d2d4fc0-6e09-11ef-a2dc-895f7a5aec6d.jpg.webp)
Officials in Brent have threatened to ban Lime's dockless e-bikes as poor parking has obstructed pavements

The screeching of rubber skidding on tarmac pierces the air on a quiet morning in north-west London. A young man on a Lime bike has suddenly overtaken a car in the next lane to dodge a roadworks sign. The driver gives him an earful.

Minutes before, a mum with a pram was telling me that dangerously driven e-bikes were a big worry - and annoyance.

Laura was taking her toddler to a park near their home in Kilburn, where the local council has told Lime they will ban their rental e-bikes next month unless they agree to a set of demands.

The council wants riders to park in cordoned-off areas only and increased fines for those who don’t.

Lime says it is willing to work with Brent Council but wants more of these parking zones to ensure it is still a convenient service for its customers in the borough.

Laura used to live in Paris where another controversial vehicle - rental e-scooters - were banned last year. Officials in Madrid announced a similar move last week and Melbourne banned them last month.

In all three cities, bad parking, as well as dangerous driving, were cited as key reasons why they had to go.

As Melbourne’s mayor Nicholas Reece explained: ”People don’t park them properly. They’re tipped, they’re scattered around the city like confetti, like rubbish, creating tripping hazards.”

A walk around Kilburn illustrates his point.

Someone has left their Lime bike in the middle of the pavement, in the way of a road crossing with tactile paving that is used by visually impaired people. They feel for the raised bumps, with a cane or through their shoes, which help them cross safely.

(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/1b93/live/a192cb50-6d2e-11ef-b970-9f202720b57a.jpg.webp)
Dockless e-bikes obstruct access to tactile paving on a road crossing in Kilburn which is used by visually impaired people

Ali, who uses a motorised wheelchair, says using stations is difficult enough because lifts are often out of order. Dodging e-bikes to reach them is just another problem he's forced to deal with.

There are similar stories in other parts of Brent. Outside Neasden station, tightly parked bikes narrow the pavement to the point only one person can walk along it.

Pedro, a car mechanic in Dollis Hill, complains angrily that riders regularly leave their e-bikes in front of his garage. Two weeks ago the pavement was completely blocked. “Something needs to be done,” he says. “There are so many of them.”

One of the reasons why London feels inundated with rental e-bikes is that, unlike e-scooters, their numbers are not controlled by Transport for London (TfL).

The e-scooters are part of a national trial overseen by the government and organised by local authorities, like TfL, in British towns and cities.

Transport officials think scooters can help reduce carbon emissions - which they need to do as the government is legally committed to reaching net zero by 2050.

Town planners are facing the challenge of balancing efforts to tackle climate change and making sure communities are still safe and accessible.

One of the main issues is that rental e-bikes are not part of any centrally organised scheme. Operators are free to strike deals with individual councils and arrange how many bikes can be used in their areas, where they can be parked and if they need docking stations.

Two of the largest operators in London are Lime and Forest who operate a dockless model which means riders, depending on the borough they are in, can park them on almost any pavement.

Operators require riders to follow a set of rules designed to keep the bikes out of the way of pedestrians. But frequently, they are not.

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Dockless e-bikes that are poorly parked or tipped over like these in Shoreditch have led to blind people becoming injured

The BBC has spoken to several charities and organisations which advocate for disabled people. All said the issue of badly parked e-bikes had become serious.

Sixty-nine-year-old Tesfai can’t see the scars on his skin - or the e-bikes strewn outside his south London home that caused them.  He is completely blind and has fallen over them repeatedly. Often he has to step into the road with his guide dog to get around them.

“It is scary,” he says, explaining how he has to listen for oncoming cars. “Lots of them are electric now, and quiet.”  He says even though helpful people sometimes move the e-bikes out of his way, the fear of tripping again means he now doesn’t leave the house as much. The library and pub he enjoys visiting feel further away.

Sarah Gayton, shared space co-ordinator at the National Federation of the Blind, said: “We want to see e-bikes stored off pavements, in lockable docking stations where they remain standing upwards, so visually impaired people can walk without having to fight these extra obstacles.”

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Specific parking areas have been mentioned as a solution to overcrowding pavements like this one in Tower Hill

The charities which spoke to the BBC were keen for e-bikes to be parked off pavements altogether. That might involve converting parking bays currently used for cars into e-bike parking.

However, such a move might prove politically difficult for councils which have already angered some drivers with environmental policies like low-traffic neighbourhoods and the Ultra Low Emission Zone. For them, it may be easier to create on-pavement - but clearly marked and enforced - parking zones for dockless e-bikes.

Wandsworth Council says it will largely ban e-bikes being left anywhere on pavements once it has finished building 111 dedicated parking areas. The move was welcomed by operators Lime and Forest.

Dr Ian Philips, a specialist in sustainable transport at the University of Leeds, says data collected from dockless e-bikes could be very useful in choosing where parking bays are installed by councils.  He says that having them in areas poorly served by public transport might encourage more people to switch from cars to e-bikes.  He stresses that could help reduce carbon emissions.

The Mayor of London’s office said it was exploring a “coordinated scheme to manage dockless e-bikes and e-scooters” which could include tighter parking restrictions. No final decisions have been made.

Back in Kilburn, having dodged the badly parked e-bikes, Ali is heading into town on his motorised wheelchair. A well-dressed man on an e-scooter pulls up next to him. It’s his cousin Meisam who is visiting from Germany.  "We're in a rush!" he exclaims. The pair are off to enjoy London together.

Watch as biker crashes into pedestrian

This was the moment an electric motorcycle rider collided with a pedestrian before tumbling from his bike.

Sergiu Stanciu, 18, from Sandfields Road, Port Talbot, admitted to dangerous driving and was sentenced to 14 months in a young offenders institution.

During the hearing at Swansea Crown Court, he was also handed a 19-month riding ban after the incident in his hometown on 20 October last year.