Halfords has launched a petition calling for a law change to allow electric scooters on UK roads.
The retailer said it believed their safe use has the potential to ‘revolutionise’ the way we travel and can help address pollution and congestion problems.
Individually owned scooters are currently illegal to use on public roads. Regulations allowing trials of rental e-scooters came into force in July last year, and you may use a trial e-scooter on the road (except motorways) and in cycle lanes.
“Our petition calls for the Government to legalise the use of all electric scooters on public roads and for the UK laws to catch up with the rest of the world,” said the petition. “They are legal and allowed on the streets of many countries across Europe and the rest of the world.
“Any new regulations should deliver safer roads and ensure that electric scooters road users behave responsibly and with due care and attention, but the current blanket ban on electric scooters does not offer this.
“If made legal, electric scooters could offer a number of benefits. They offer an alternative to using public transport – for shorter journeys, they take minutes to set up and are simple to ride and they are better for the environment, helping to ease congestion and address pollution problems.”
The petition can be viewed here.