Tier hosts e-scooter safety session for MPs and Peers ahead of legislation update 

Tier has hosted an e-scooter safety session for MPs and Peers, in an attempt to assure politicians about the future of the transport mode. 

The e-scooter training sessions Parliamentarians were given the opportunity to test ride Tier e-scooters, and discuss what future legislation on private-use machines might look like.

Sessions were attended by Lord Iain McNicol, and Vauhxhall MP Florence Eshalomi, who is also the co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for London. 

Georgia Yexley, UK and Ireland general manager for Tier said: “The safety of Tier’s operations is our number one priority and in order to ensure that this is implemented across the industry and within future regulation, it is integral that we are speaking to policymakers who will be developing e-scooter legislation. It was fantastic to host this event with MPs and Peers and hear their views about e-scooters and their presence in the transport mix. Using our experience across the globe, and as the Government looks to introduce legislation on e-scooters, we look forward to continuing these discussions with policymakers to make sure that the UK’s regulation is world-leading, with safety and inclusivity at its heart.”

Tier also highlighted for the politicians how the Berlin-based micromobility provider is trying to improve safety on its machines. 

Safety measures in Tier machines include ‘safety pricing,’ which prevents riders from being charged for riding when they’re stationary, such as at traffic lights.  

Tier is also working with other e-scooter providers to design a ‘universal sound’ for scooters to alert other road users about their approach. 

Private-use e-scooters are currently illegal on public roads, but the Government has announced plans for a new vehicle category designed specifically for low-speed, zero-emission transport like scooters.

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This new category, which will be included in the upcoming Transport Bill, will pave the way for the legalisation of private scooters. 

While the Transport Bill will be included in the upcoming 2022-23 parliamentary session, its not clear exactly when the updated legislation will come into force.