New rental e-scooter trials coming up ?

In July 2025 the DfT invited local authorities to consider applying for a new round of e-scooter trials.

" New e-scooters trials would be allowed to open to help fill evidence gaps and gather new learning around:

• e-scooter safety
• the impact of local area characteristics
• how e-scooters contribute to meeting new government missions

 

According to the DfT:

" This ensure we have the best possible evidence base to inform how to legislate".

Is ever more evidence about e-scooters needed?

There have been a number of well-researched reports, consultations and studies into the use of and safety of e-escooters. Individual local authorities have compiled reports, as has the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Transport Safety (PACTS)

PACTS 2022 study - read it here  with an update  (2023) here 

Two local authorities have had contrasting experiences and reached differnt conclusions. Read about Kent CC here and Salford here 

One cannot help drawing the conclusion that central government's has failed to respond properly to a situation where ongoing legal use of rental e-scooters is completely at variance with widespread illegal use of private e-scooters on public roads and cycle tracks, and this dichotomy has led to a hotchpotch of conflicting law enforcement practice.....

For example, if you ride an e-scooter on a public road or cycle track in Derbyshire you are likely to be relieved of your means of transport by the Police as according to a recent post:

" Derbyshire Constabulary seized a further 33 e-scooters during May 2025 as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal use across the county.

This brings the total number of e-scooters seized to 459, following the introduction of a new approach from November 2024 to tackle the growing issue".

In other areas of the country, the very same issue seems to be of negligible priority for the Police. Anecdotally, the author of this blog has witnessed e-scooters being ridden illegally on many occasions on main roads in a major northern city in plain sight of police with zero interest shown...

Essex Police have however taken the same approach as Derbyshire. In late July 2025 they commented:

"Insp Steve Wells, from Essex Police, said: "Anyone walking in a pedestrianised area shouldn't have to be on high alert that someone might be hurtling towards them on an e-bike or e-scooter."Officers warned riders that ignorance of the law was no excuse if caught (see here for the law as clearly explained by the DfT)

Meanwhile, other organisations are very much in favour of their use in the urban environment. Read Walk/Ride GM's viewpoint here ! 

The DfT has a special unit dedicated to zero emission vehicles and which handles enquiries about e-scooter trials. You can email micromobility@dft.gov.uk.