The UK's electric scooter law is failing society - and this is why
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- čas přidán 15. 10. 2021
- Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) and their legality is a contentious topic. Particularly for 1 in 5 the UK registered with a disability.
Eilis shines a light on the benefits and worries that surround electric mobility through the prism of individuals with mobility issues to understand how it affects them.
It feels like the rest of the world has integrated e-rides into their infrastructure, so how can we now play catch up and do the same?
Taylor’s ‘Assisted Mobility’ film: vimeo.com/223974029
Rideables: rideables.org
Rob's blog: www.robhitch.com/micromobility
#escooter #escooterlaw #PLEV
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It seems that the UK is the only country where it is illegal to use private e-scooters. Where our government says it wants to be a modern country. It seems we are stuck in the past.
Germany is also in line with the idiot brigade.
If only common sense wasn't so rare!
@@coverup7428 its legal tho
@@ducdo5045 scooters up to 20km/h are legal but everything without handlebars is not.
In reality it is still illegal in 20% of the world.
"People leave hired e scooters in the middle of the pavement". This generally wouldn't happen with one that belonged to you. This reason cannot be used for them not to be legalised.
EXACTLY!!!!
And when people get to the shop that they're riding to, what are they going to do with the scooter (even if it's their own) whilst they are in there? Leave it on the pavement outside!
@@robertstallard7836 take it in with you...
@@robertstallard7836 Some people. Just as some people do that with bicycles, better ban them eh? smh!
Gee, if only there were some kind of rack where individual scooters or bikes could be wheeled into spaces where they could be secured in an upright position in an orderly fashion, occupying minimal space... sheesh, even auto-centric USA has had bike racks for decades and more recently parking racks/corrals for hired ebikes/escooters (funded at least in part by the hire services) that have been demonstrated repeatedly to reduce or eliminate problems with bikes or scooters being left where they block pedestrian traffic...
Great video. It's getting a bit embarrassing how backward this country is when it comes to technology.
People tend to be scare of something new or something they do not know nor understand... I am over 60yo and I learned to ride an eboard (or eskate) during the COVID-19 pandemic as a mental health thing since I could not take part in any activities with a group of people. So, eboard is a fun solo activity, which I can do in a group if I so choose... As an eboarder or a rider of any electric mobility vehicle, we also should possess good PR, i.e. slowdown when passing pedestrians, elderly persons, smiling and waving at people who throw us a curious look or even stop to chat with them if they ask us what the heck is the thing we are riding...
@@ATrueCanadianBeaver Yes, 99% people are fine. Only had two witches harassing me about it when grocery shopping. But been harassed for using a cane and rollator as well. When grocery shopping. Some people are just ignorant ar..les.
I only live about two houses away from shop so driving there is ridiculous. Walking can be painful or too tired some days. Yet fit, rheumatologist said I have the body of a trained athlete. Just walking is a problem.
Everything!!!
Typical UK in the total dark ages, excuse after excuse after excuse. Teach people how to ride them properly on the road AND pavement and it will solve a lot of problems. Brilliant video by the way... 🙏🏴
Totally agree you allowed them in Spain why not in England
lmfao don't need to be taught how to ride a scooter! hahaha... "Oi mate, you got a licence for that scooter?!" /s
Yup 👍 We’ll said 👏
@@w3w3w3 Why, if you want to ride a motorcycle you have to get a license, if you want to drive a car you have to get a license. Shouldn't be to different for a scooter or a cycle. It doesn't have to be a protracted expensive process, a couple of hours and you get your license. No one is denying you understand how to ride a scooter, but sometimes a small amount of education can be surprisingly useful.
It's not just the UK, we hired a couple of scooters in Poland 2 years ago, they were brilliant fun and we got to see so much more of Krakow that we would have just walking about. Sadly the week we were there they started a ban on using the scooters in cycle lanes, so now the only choice was to use walkways, which upset all the pedestrians, so they took a massive step back.
Currently in Italy, like many other mainland EU countries e scooters are everywhere and folks are just fine. In the UK noooooooooo!
@@zigzagtoes Keep off the pavement
It's all about money FFS they want u to hire there fucking scooters so buying your own won't be aloud coz it takes their money away plain and simple
Disability rights UK certainly don’t represent my views - as a disabled person with chronic fatigue. She talks about designers not appreciating the impact of new tech upon disabled people - while herself minimising the benefits it can bring us.
Minor misuse of rental scooters should not be taken as a reason to punish those of us who need these devices for our independence. We deserve immediate policy change, to bring us in line with the rest of the world.
@@seetheanimal5867 Entitled to my independence and sustainable mobility? Absolutely.
@@seetheanimal5867 So you think disabled people should suffer? Why are e-scooters treated any differently to e-bikes, which I can’t afford due to universal credit payments being pathetic?
@@seetheanimal5867 are you American by any chance?
@@jw3505 because legal e-bikes aren't powered vehicles by definition
@@KentRoads “Because it is” isn’t great logic. “Why?” was the question.
I'm pushing 60, I have a bum knee and my scooter makes it so much easier to get the the shops and back. Walking there is do-able, but will result in pain and soreness for the rest of the day. I've said it before; Don't punish the people who are operating responsibly, go after those that aren't. If the police can't catch scooters, then maybe we need some officers on them. I haven't been bothered by the police on mine yet, and I like to think that it's because I'm operating mine responsibly.
Excellent! Well put.
Get a bike, it would strengthen that knee. You're doing yourself more harm on your scooter.
@@Liofa73 I have one of those too, an e-bike. It's great for when I need to go longer distances. The scooter has it's place also.
@@Liofa73 Not necessarily. I was told decades ago by rheumatologist NOT to climb stairs or ride bikes so as to prevent damage to my hypermobile knees. I do exercises and walk and use a variety of mobility aids including scooters - manual and electric.
I have a disability and this summer was the first time in four years I was able to go over my local park thanks to my electric scooter. However, I’m still 99% housebound due to these ableist laws preventing me from taking it any further afield. Thank you for shining a light on this issue, and I’ll now be looking into registering mine with the DVLA.
Well said, we all need to speak out like you have just done.
Just rode on my e scooter, bought so that my son can get to work. So nice to travel on a route where I passed no more than 12 people. I also avoided the anti social behaviour of car drivers who often leave their vehicles unattended all over the place blocking pavements, barrel through streets as if they have a right to do so and drive incredibly dangerously (sound familiar).
At least the “unattended vehicles” pay road tax and have insurance
@@ryanfogg8858 Ah yes we should all have bike insurance too and don't you pay taxes when they take it out of your pay check and when you spend money on the said scooter? I'm sure they are really tearing up the roadways darsh.
@@drumpftodd7887 yes you should have bike insurance if you want to use the roads
This is it, reality is the VAST majority of pavements across the country are almost entirely empty of pedestrians most the time, you just get hot spots in shopping areas, I think as with cyclists police will use discretion when they're finally made legal and leave people to it unless they're a hazard (which isn't automatic just because you're on a pavement)
Wonderful video! I hope our friends in the UK get the laws situated to take advantage this great tech. Electric mobility is the future!
I'm 23, I'm a carer for my mum (she has chronic fatigue, chronic migraines and vestibular attacks making even short trips very stressful for her) and have to commute via bike / car / scooter to work. If I was limited by bike, I can't escort my mum anywhere. If I take the car, it's going to cost me about half a days wage to earn a days wage just in parking. If I take my scooter, I risk points on my license. My mum recently invested £2500 for an electric wheelchair that she can't even get up the stairs to our flat on her own. She's started using my E-scooter and have noticed a huge boost in her quality of life and independence. I agree, it's down to the individual rider rather than the mode of transport that needs regulation. This video highlights a very important voice of electric personal vehicle users. No bias, just straight facts.
Probably the best rational, sound and professional argument I have seen put foward yet for legalising plev's. Well done guys, excellent video.
Thank you so much!
Totally agree. And these 2 guys are great candidates for the arguement
@@Electroheadshi when will parliament review privately owned electric scooters ? Have we got a specific date
That was a BRILLIANT WATCH, I am 61 and have had trouble with my joints since my late 20’s. I am not registered disabled. But now I am older my right knee can go at anytime leaving not able to get back to where I came from and have to call my daughter to pick me up. After pain lasts 60 minutes. I love walking and getting out but it’s become harder especially when I know my left knee is on its way out to. I bought a Dualtron Thunder 2 years and use that when I can, it’s such fun to ride I DON’T have to bend my knees I dress as if I was riding a motorcycle and yet like the other two guys in your video live in fear of points on my license as I have over 50 miles to drive to work everyday. Thanks for sharing. Ray K UK YNWA.
Great to hear from you, Ray! Thank you for sharing your story. It's time for change in the UK
@@Electroheads wow quick reply. Thanks for taking time out to text back you must have a lot of subscribers.
this government needs to open their eyes to micro mobility and stop focusing on cycling
People saying E Scooters are being dumped. Yes, the Rental ones limited to 12.5 MPH Costing £6 for 15 Mins but I CAN GUARANTEE NO PRIVATELY ONES ARE BEING DUMPED.
Absolutely!
I am disabled too and use my escooter to get around in the city for big distances.
cheers from Germany 👌
i completely agree with the argument. but the government and police are idiots as if it was your own scooter you wouldn't leave it in the middle of the pavement. you would take it with you.
What will people do with it when they get to the shop they want to shop at? Leave it on the pavement outside, of course!
@@robertstallard7836 You've already said this and been shot down in flames many times.
I ride a 1000w 48v scooter with a seat on the road daily, police have seen me but haven't stopped me yet.
yet, thankfully. In my area I have pressure from the police, my EUC sits unused.
I badly damaged my ankle and walking any distance over a couple hundred feet becomes quite painful. Three years ago I bought my first EUC and, not only does it allow me to move around cheaply, quickly, and quietly. The constant balancing has worked as physical therapy on my ankle and I'm now able to walk further with less pain.
So many people claim that they offer no physical benefit and you might as well be sat on a bus. You can tell that these people have never ridden one.
We can't uninvent the wheel just like we can't uninvent PLEV'S. They will be a big part of all our life's in future there will be no stopping it. Maybe we need someone to run ahead of our PLEV'S with a red flag.
My partner is disabled and her electric scooter has given her so much freedom. Sitting on a bus or car wrecks her but staying upright to zip along has been life changing
Has she been stopped and fined at all by police? This is my worry!
Get an electric bike it’s better dude
@@Billzloveschelsea you have to sit on a e-bike , have you not read that he said that sitting is bad for her?
@@Timotarius_ i think he is stupid
Until you fall off. Be it a bad pavement, swerve or being unsighted. Then you’ve got to deal with a world of problems compounding your partners disability. Plus what happens if it’s stolen while they are out?
I took my 365 pro 2 to Blackpool last year as I was staying there for over a month , and I was stopped three times by the police nothing to do with the legality of the scooter but just for the interest in it , plus a traffic warden thought it would be great idea for them to use as transport .
I don’t know what my model
Is, but it’s basically an off-road two wheeler with a seat-post, and I get stopped so many times by people asking where it’s from or saying how cool it is. When I tell them I use it because of my disability, their eyes are opened to the possibilities.
@@RoxanneLaWinSTABBY Same here, but mine is seatless as couldn't get seated version. Lots of enquiries from both young people and seniors who want one. I have a genetically based disability that limits mobility due to pain and fatigue. I'm also a senior.
good on you for highlighting this. britain likes to think its at the worlds fore-front on everything, but in reality, it miles behind. the trial for example on e-scooters...is never ever going to get favourable results from rentals, people who dont own them, do the study on people who have forked out alot of money to buy them and know how to ride them as opposed to some ned wanting to terrorise a city centre for an hour then dump it. i too am registered disabled and would use mine a whole lot more if not for the fear of losing my drivers licence or getting points and fined. i could rant on for hours, but your video is a step in the right direction...hope the right people see it. well done.
Neds 😂 love it
Well said sir 👌
I just say break the law.. I see 100s of people breaking the law on their escooters etc around cambridge. I doubt it's one of those laws that will be enforced. The problem in the UK is that we like to have laws for everything which just makes everyone a criminal. Just go with it, the police don't enforce these anyway. Oh also, don't vote for the tories.
@@syrus3k You we’re doing fine until the last sentence. Boris is indeed doing a bad job but the authoritarian Left really would be 10x worse. They literally don’t want solutions because keeping everything difficult raises taxes and keeps them in business.
John Hunt I've been stopped on my escooter and given a warning not to ride it ,
I’ m disabled and with my e scooter I could take my kids out on there bikes or walking but at the minute I can’t afford points on my car license so have stop using it
These devices are green and environmentally friendly and the law permitting PEV should be in line with riding a bicycle . The current situation is untenable. Looks like there is so little logic ,so much stupidity and anger regarding those who govern and create laws that benefit nobody but harm people. Everybody should be encouraged to use PEV’s, not just disabled people and it should be realised that those who buy such an expensive device are not going to be leaving it in the middle of the pavement littering the place. Shear stupidity displayed by those who govern.
But when everyone has a scooter who’s going to be riding public transport? We can’t have that.
I understand that places with a hire scheme, suffer from a lot of abandoned E-Scooters.
Environmental and green are a matter of perspective. The rare earth magnets, cells, transport and disposal are all very environmentally unfriendly...............
@@davidelliott5843 Why not? Public transport costs money, it doesn't make money.
@@davidelliott5843 Carrying a foldable eScooter on a bus, train or ferry would solve the longer trips nicely. The problem that has always been recognised for public transport is the "last mile". What you do to get to and from the public transport. I think these PLEVs would increase public transport use.
@@davidelliott5843 it seems you needed to do something like /sarcasm to let people know you were being sarcastic. :D
That 'Assisted Mobility' documentery is a must-see, should be shown in schools and parliament!
I can’t agree with you more on that one.
Yes and get school kids to ride them to school
@@steve00alt70 with safe, dedicated cycling infrastructure to benefit scooters/skateboards/bikes!
@@steve00alt70 - great idea, top the school run of cars. Loads of us used to cycle or walk to school in the past.
Personally I think the rental schemes may be doing more harm than good in terms of some people's perception of e-scooters. It is easy to highlight the abuses of rental scooters but some of these abuses are simply nowhere near as relevant to privately owned ones and this includes a few of them that are of greatest concern to disabled people and their advocates. Scooters being dumped in places that impair disabled people's ability to move around safely is certainly an issue but who is doing that with their own property? That is just going to result in it getting damaged and/or stolen. That is not to say that most users are not making good and safe use of the rental ones but those that are abusing them are exacerbating the image problem that scooters have.
Regarding the lack of noise, it is not like a typical bicycle makes much of it either (although a scooter went past me yesterday and was more audible than most bikes in my experience). Yet the bike will weigh around the same as the scooter or more (especially if an ebike) and has the potential to go faster than a lot of scooters (though ebikes are obviously not helped by the motor at higher speeds), so can present at least as much of a risk to pedestrians if ridden inappropriately around them. It is easy to feel self conscious about using a bell when riding and some pedestrians do not respond to them all that well but they are an important part of making yourself known in places that are shared with pedestrians. And as long as the rider behaves sensibly and treats others with respect, it generally works well. I really don't see as escooters are fundamentally any different to this. As plenty of other people have said plenty of times, the problem is some of the users and not the technology itself.
My tin foil hat take on the rental schemes is that they are deliberately designed to annoy and alienate, and are deployed by disingenuous municipalities who want public opinion to turn against micro mobility.
@@brushlessmotoring or they just want to make money
@@brushlessmotoring I am inclined to agree with you. Which raises all sort of questions about those in power in the municipalities.
Agreed. Scooter rental services were banned here after a mother and child were hit by a drunk scooter driver. But now people are buying there own and that seems to be much better since we are all responsible for our own hardware and liable for our own actions on that hardware.
Couldn't agree more on your comment about bicycles. Police round my way happily turn a blind eye to people cycling down the pavements of the local high streets, without thought for people stepping out of the shops, but I could be penalised for safely riding my e-scooter on the road with the flow of traffic. It truly beggars belief that the laws on both these matters can be so skewed.
As someone with MS, having an electric scooter would change my life for the better. I would be able to use this to get to work and back every day. However, where I live in Exeter, UK they have decided not to legalise even the rentable electric scooters. I wish there was something that could be done.
The law is basically trying to ban e scooters because you don't have to tax or insure them, and it compromises the use and sales of vehicles that you would have to tax and insure like a moped, but the gov don't want that.
Modern problems require modern solutions
Agreed!
Why dont we lobby/ bribe our way? The way the modern world work, is by this.
Possibly the best article I have seen regarding this subject. This country needs to get its act together... Just more examples of how PEV's can help so many. I use these daily and it has been a life saver both financially and time wise. Thank you for a great video.
(They) haven’t found a way to make money from them. That’s why they’re illegal . Can’t have you running around free can we! Saidthejoobanker
Think 1000s of PLEV riders need to just ride out and let this government know we're trying to move towards the future
Mass plev protests 👍
Case Study - Me
66 years old. Despite regular cycling and walking not as fit as I would like to be.
One specific problem: The railway station is a brisk 21 minutes away. The trains are frequent. An extra round trip of 42 minutes makes regular use less appealing, especially when it is raining. There are no cycle lock up or camera protected facilities. I don’t want to ‘give my bike away’. I don’t want to use my car for obvious reasons.
A small low range electric scooter would be perfect. Cut the travel time right down. Fold it and put it in a cover with shoulder strap. Travel on the train. Use the scooter at the other end of my ride to reach my destination. Cheap. Light. Portable. Easy to maintain.
I’m not going to leave my scooter in the middle of a pathway. I’m not going to ride it recklessly or it’s liable to be confiscated by the police. I already use my bike on shared pathways and am always considerate to other path users.
Maybe part of the problem with scooters is the ‘rental model’.
The rest of the problem is foggy government thinking.
I bought one (I am an OAP) thinking it would be ideal for doing local shopping.
I had a nasty shock when I found that these scooters were actually illegal after for a few weeks happily doing my shopping with my backpack on.
I was actually trying to help the environment by not using the car instead.
Kids who abuse this and spoil it for everyone else should be identified and prosecuted, and if not them then their parents.
I wouldn’t blame the kids. Bicycles are just as dangerous no one feels like kids needs to be blamed for their danger. The government just want to make money by making you rent an electric scooter that than buying your own
I do that too, but I also have a genetically based problem that makes activity painful and fatiguing. But I get out more and do more with mobility aids like scooters and rollators. I was using mine illegally too at first as it was a private scooter not Lime etc. No problem with police, but mainly used in local streets. Now it is legal. Yah.
100% agree and the best part about is it takes no room up in your property mine now sits in my property after being stopped in 2019 i even had a disability sticker on it and had to plead and beg to the copper who pulled me that i needed it to get home as i had been shopping to tesco the other side of my town and was 3 miles away from my house ..i need it as its extremely painful to walk and disabled scooter are just to big for some properties why cant they have a scheme where
if you can proove you are disabled u carry a card on you and use that like a license to show police and get insurance
Less cars - more space for nice things like… trees!
They take up no space much on your property and are easier to manoeuvre down shopping aisles as well compared to mobility scooters or wheelchairs. Take up less space in shops or on buses or trains than these.
100% right
From a disabled person
Due to a sporting accident many years ago I am on the waiting list for a hip replacement. I can't walk any distance without pain so I use an electric skateboard to get about.
So pleased to hear you’ve found an alternative to help you stay mobile, and a fun one, too!
I've been at odds with uk road laws for a long time. I grew up & still live in rural north Wales. As a child, the road was generally a safe place to play, if we heard a car coming we moved, and if we were slow to move, then we were sure people would slow or stop & wait. As a teenager I cycled everywhere, often 20 or more miles from home. As an adult my sport is Rock-Climbing, but I see cycling as a perfectly viable pastime/exercise and see no issue with bikes or pedestrians using the road network.
Our roads were built hundreds (if not thousands in some cases) of years ago. Yes farmers and landowners might travel by horse, but for the majority of people, walking was how people got about.
So really cars are privileged to operate in the domain of pedestrians, so drives dont really have any ground to complain about pedestrians, horse riders, cyclists etc (i'd put PLEV's in the same category).
I am also, however, a Bus drive, and I've been in the situation of being absolutely furious with a cyclists, who's kept me behind them on a winding road for miles. Now bein behind shedule is annoying, but the reason I'm so bothered, is that I'm genuinely scared for the cyclistst safety. I dont want to squash anybody, and haveing a cyclists dicing with the buses an lorries on a narrow winding mountain pass, is very stressful, and some cyclistst prolong the situation for miles when there is a useable pavement.
But the law says cyclists should ride on the road, and I know how crap it is to ride a road bike on the pavement. The point I'm getting to is that, just as electric cars are going to need a total update for infrastructure, I think PLEV's make it about time we rethink the whole road/pavement laws. I think all roads should get a pavement, but much wider to incorporate PLEV's & Cycles, which also should have free reign to travel wherever is safest, and pavements should be maintained as road surfaces. So pedestrians on the side, cars on the road, PLEV's & Cycles on either, depending on safety.
In years to come it may be possible to get all EV's to communicate and prevent collisions.
I cycle and I'm considerate when doing so. I so often see signs saying 'No Cycling' and wonder just why. If I travel at 5 - 7mph, am I a danger? I will also stop if in conflict with pedestrian space at any time. But no! The law dictates. We must remember that there are inconsiderate idiots who I see riding at 15 mph+ on footpaths - with their safety helmets on!! Sod anyone else's safety. These people would kill a little old lady or small child ... and many would ride on. But your points are good ones and I'm in agreement. I'll also stop and let buses etc pass me if I'm obstructing them, as I actually find it annoying when they chug along behind me - and they have their day to get through as well.
That's the current situation in Brisbane Qld Australia. Except e scooters can only travel on local roads, not main roads or to cross or if dud pavement. We have dedicated cycleways and bus ways - like a train line. Only buses.
Fantastic video, you hit the nail on the head. I have post cancer chronic fatigue syndrome and can only walk a very short distance. I have 3 PLEV’s which I regularly use and are essential for me getting around. I have a small 350w stand up electric scooter, a small 350w foldable seated electric tricycle that I use as a mobility scooter indoors and a 3000w ebike I built myself specific to my disability. I always ride them with the utmost care, giving thought to those around me and I always wear a helmet. They are environmentally friendly, totally silent and emit no pollution. They help me to keep mobile as a disabled person and yet are illegal- it’s ridiculous it makes me so angry, the current laws need a complete overhaul.
Thanks for your story, Peter. It’s great to hear from you. Fingers crossed things will change…
Wonderful to hear you're also utilising the benefits of PLEVs to help your mobility Peter. Krgrds another rider who survived cancer 😉😊
im just lazy and its fun to ride on the road and the pavement and through red lights, but then again i live in taiwan sucks to be british
We need to change the system all together. We should vote in a government app on things like this like a real democracy. I ride a bike and see no difference in scooters at all
Keep bikes off the pavement
I really love the work you're doing to try to make these legal espically for such an important topic, keep up the great work
👍
Excellent feature, and of course disabled people are no lesser citizen, we need to make access easy for all. In addition, there's the ecological arm of PLEV's too. I have a heart condition which restricts my movements, so a plev works for me to get to work a mile away without firing up my diesel vehicle which is always going to be running cold and dirty.
They are also a hit with seniors around here.
I'm so pleased to hear this perspective at last. I've been using an electric unicycle as a mobility aid since april 2016 and it's given me my independence back from my neurological pain disorder (central sensitisation syndrome). It's great low-intensity exercise for my back, core and neck and means I can get out in the fresh air even on my worst days. I used to be depressed and anxious about long outdoor activities such as shopping or day trips out with my partner, as often I'd get worn out and my pain would get overwhelming, but now I don't even think twice about spending a whole Saturday out riding, and things like cycling and hiking are more and more accessible to me. I've even been able to work a full time job for the first time in my life this year and it's hugely down to how much my EUC has helped me become so much more active and healthy over these past 5 years. I haven't used a crutch or wheelchair since I found EUCs and haven't driven a car in over 3 years as I now just don't need to. I feel so much more dignified and liberated. The fact that I risk 6 points and a confiscation every time I go to work and back just seems surreal considering it's good for the planet and this is helping me become more and more independent from my disability.
I wish they could be recognised as mobility aids similar to rollators or mobility scooters.
i also use a ebike as a mobility aid ,severe chronic leg probs prevent me from bieng able to use my legs
Your interviewees say a lot of the things I say about PLEVs. I completely agree about governments and city planners approaching problems as an afterthought.
I am an Australian. I tend to describe myself as "very mildly disabled". I am retired, and have had cancer. One of the side effects was peripheral neuropathy - particularly in my feet, and that keeps getting worse. So it hurts me to walk about. Not a big problem for ordinary things, but a day out is now exhausting. I have a bicycle, but taking that on buses is impossible, and it is difficult to take it on a train.
I looked at the electric scooters and thought - that would be a great help. But of course they are illegal here. So I took the matter up with my local State MP, by email - due to COVID-19. I explained as carefully as I could my situation, and how electric scooters would help. He forwarded the email without any notation to the State Minister for Transport.
The Minister for Transport replied with a quite curt email that I can summarise as: too hard. Too much change. Too many unknowns. There was no thought given to individual approvals.
Rather than looking at the logic I presented for how e-scooters would work in with existing public transport, they just focus on the few worst case possibilities.
Meanwhile they just play their little games concerning the road toll and the massive death and injury toll it incurs. They ignore the health problems our cars and trucks generate. I can only conclude that one way or another, they get money from the car industry, and they don't give much of a damn about the climate. Why would we ever expect them to change?
Very confusing. Legal in Brisbane. Can take on Qld trains but not buses. Can take manual scooters on buses though.
@@TheMazinoz I have heard that they are legal up there.
My brother referred to their prevalence and annoyance as "the modern cockroaches" of Brisbane.
I am seeing more electric scooters around here of late. Xmas seems to have resulted in a few kids with absolutely no concept of road rules or self preservation riding them.
@@John.0z Yes, kids need to be taught road rules by their parents, not just for e scooters but bikes and kick push ones. Mostly it's adults I've seen abusing them, but not all riders. I ride one myself as well as a kick push one. I also use canes or rollators. Depends on amount of walking, fatigue, pain, where and how I'm going somewhere, what I can use in a situation. They have just slightly increased regulations up here. It keeps changing. You can now take them on trains, but not buses. Many kids around here got kick push ones for Christmas. At Aldi recently kick push ones were in the bike racks. All belonged to the same family and mother was instructing them when they left. I see more e scooters in the city. Some private, some Lime etc.
I've been waiting for someone to make this video and you guys nailed it 💪
I'm disabled and miss walking so much, I would love to try an electric vehicle but like the chap in the video can't afford to loose my licence.
I really hope our government wake up and embrace EVs as an amazing way to fight climate change.
That means so much, thank you!
I am disabled and struggling walking long distances so no longer go on days out, but having the use of an electric scooter would improve my life no end
I’m also disabled and have been using mine to get to the park just behind my house and it’s been such a liberator. But for the same reasons as your fears, I don’t take it any further afield, leaving me housebound still. I’m newly motivated with a new cause to get on at the government about.
As a private scooter owner who rides mostly off road due to the ridiculously harsh penalties for riding on the road or in cycle lanes, could see both sides of the arguments, regarding the lack of noise for visually impaired people, the same lack of noise is true for mobility scooters, bicycle and e bikes, the latter can go much faster than my scooter, which is limited to 15.5 mph, yet the bikes are perfectly legal
That's what bells are for!
Here in Australia, Queensland at least, we're allowed to ride electric scooters in public, but only on footpaths, you'll actually get fined over $100 for riding in the bike line, which is ironic given we can go faster and keep up with traffic better then them 🙄🤦♂️
That's just the government setting it up to fail hoping there will be more accidents if you ride on the pavement so they can ban them 🤷🏻♂️
that seems really odd. The sensible solution is to have them all registered, age restrict5ed and for use in cycle lanes and shared pavements. Makes no sense having cycles allowed on shared pavements but not escooters. Using them on roads is a difficult one - maybe they could be restricted to roads of low speed limits. Law makers have to get a grip of this, escooters arnt going anywhere.
Couple this with us constantly being told climate change is an imperative, they have to start putting money where their mouth is
Someone in an escooter, going 34mph ran over two cyclists going about 20 because he wanted to go through a pack of cyclists on a narrow cycle lane in the UK. Guy pressed charges but obviously lost.
Not against EVs and all that but there should be a level of restrictions. Same with bikes imo
@@atent5124 they would be restricted to 25kph, which is regarded as a cyclist average speed
@@mutleyeng I really hope they don’t start forcing us to register them that would suck. Like great now I’m renting the thing I used to own off the government
Each device needs it’s own separate legislation....insurance and helmets are a minimum need concerning many...other factors (age,training,licensing etc) also need to be taken into account...(I’m a disabled, ex Lloyd’s insurance broker, ex F2 hill-climb driver, electric car + quadricycle + electric wheelchair user + green mobility solutions aficionado) 🤙
I just wish grant Shapps can watch this and realise the potential of them and their place in transport, you all do a fantastic job highlighting this issue, it will happen but we all need to see it happening sooner to stop this nonsense of penaltys.
@@willydoer8730 so are trolls, bore off ✊
Yea obviously. Same thing happens with city rental bicycles. So if we actually owned one they wouldn’t be left for someone to steal trust me
Apart from these people we need to demand everyone to have access to these. It is insane they are illegal, the public wants them, they're good for the environment. The transport industry and the 30 billion that the economy will lose from the loss of petrol.
I'll be honest, I never considered eScooters as a mobility aid for disabled people. Its a very compelling argument, maybe there should more to highlight this as way to move legislation forwards.
Considering a full sized mobility scooter can cost upwards of £4000 and they are huge, cumbersome things, e-scooters have the potential to open up personal transport for more people. You can get a half decent e-scooter for about £300 and many can be fitted with what amounts to being a bike seat if standing is an issue. Most scooters have 2 or more speed settings, so if used as a compact mobility scooter, low speed on the pavement (as per current mobility scooter legislation) and higher speeds (up to 15.5 mph) on roads and cycle paths (as per current E-bike legislation).
@@gar3th27 Thats why I bought one as a mobility aid.
if everyone could use these Devices imagine how many Humans would then not use a Petrol or Diesel Guzzlers.. freedom of choice still lacking in Britain
If they were insured the same as mopeds, then crack on. Oh yes, and wear a helmet too.
Decent reason to legalize PLEVs in the UK... 🙂👍
I saw a young boy, about 12 years old, riding his electric scooter on the pavement during the week, older people having to jump out of his way. Nothing unusual there really, happens regularly . What was unusual is that there was a little toddler hanging on for dear life to the bottom of the upright. Incredibly stupid and incredibly dangerous, the more legislation the better. I was quite shocked to see this.
I understand the huge advantages of these electric modes of transport for all responsible people, and there’s a huge potential for helping the disabled. So I strongly support a robust licensing/ insurance system for these great devices so that we can get the best benefits from them in a safe , secure and responsible manner.
At least 3 near misses for me so far. One in a public car park where the lad rode behind my reversing car. He saw fit to give me the finger. Two other kids dressed in black, with hoodies pulled over their heads, no lights on dark unlit roads. One was even looking at their phone while riding. Dad used to use a mobility scooter in his later years; I hope these kids don't end up needing one also. There are never any police around to enforce any laws anyway, plus many of the Chinese scooters can be easily hacked to go much faster than the law allows.
I'm quite sure we all did lots of things which weren't exactly risk free as kids. Bombing a hill on your bicycle, or jumping off a bridge into a creek, for instance. I don't see them as reasons to ban creeks or bicycles.
@@Rocksaplenty , I would definitely ban creeks, down with creeks! 😳
I do agree with you! The electrical scooters are dangerous for the users’ s life when they are using on the road, also dangerous to the people when they are using on the pavement, especially for the elders and toddlers. Unless there is a law to limit the speed when it is made ( I believe that most people using it would never care the speed, especially teenagers), I won’t agree it could be use on road legally.
@@cherrychen7582 , good points! But limiting their speed would make them less appealing to most people.
So for the media saying it scares blind and disabled people. These guys need to be forefront right there telling those in the media to look at other side of things
Blind people can't see or hear bikes or electric cars much either. Scooter riders here have the least rights and are legally supposed to give way to EVERYONE ie: pedestrians and cyclists as well as cars etc. Its the riders not the technology
come on UK we need this mode of transport .Regulated and Legal.
The hire one out by the hour is NOT working.
people are not going to be responsible with something they have NOT paid for.
Example .....after spending £2000 on a scooter ,its not getting left anywhere.
Its not going to be put a risk of being Impounded.
If a person has just paid pennies for a vehicle its going to get NEGLECTED
Not always. I want to get an e skateboard I saw on Amazon for £100, and I know balls to bones I'd be sensible about using it. I'm the exception rather than the rule though. Most bikes are uninsured anyway, and do all sorts of chicanery, and get away with it. I should know, I have a bike and a non motored skateboard too. I figure by the end of next year, I will have my e bike, e skateboard, and my Reva g Wiz, as well as my floating off grid cabin. I know, a lot of money, but I'm willing to do what it takes to make it happen.
The U.K. is lagging behind so badly with this law.
Great video. Make sure the DoT get a copy. I’ve exchanged comments with the PPS on the scooter trials progress via my MP and I’m happy to use that route if you would prefer.
I’m autistic and use my electric scooter to get from a to b on my own, these stories resonate with me
Charge people a $100 a year registration, have 3 speeds to travel at depending on congestion and location anyone abusing the use of them has theirs confiscated….
About time PLEV's were put out there as a device for people with physical issues, I can use a bus but that cost ££ just to pop to the local towns walking & sitting on a bus (if I can get a seat downstairs) that has to go over speed bumps etc hurts my back throughout the journey, riding my electric unicycle don't do this to my arthiritic spine.
As a disabled person with a stitched-back-together skull and limited neck mobility, I've never felt more scared to be on the pavement than the last few years. Can't turn my head, can't see or hear them coming, and if I get knocked down and bang my head I'm dead. I used to walk to the shop, now I have no choice but take the car for a 1/8 mile journey.
We need a 3mph speed limit on all pavements and footpaths. It's walking space, should be used at walking speed.
Finally somebody makes a decent video about the importance of moving forward with technology.
10:56 this is incorrect. E-scooters are allowed on pavements in Poland, as long as there is no bike path and the speed limit for the cars is greater than 30 km/h.
i think you forgot rule under 1kW scooters :)
I live in Denmark and it’s totally legal here, if you drive under 20 kmh
‘Hired’ scooters are getting ALL scooters a bad name. You can bet that if a person had BOUGHT the scooter it would not be left in the middle of a path somewhere.
what can we dio? Pls start a petition
It would be sooo simple to change society positively by legislating FOR these modes of transport. But in my years I've never seen governments do anything that's not self serving in the short or long term. We employ them, and they're not fit for purpose. Time to use weight of numbers to change this situation.
@@niallwildwoode7373 how to use our weight? thats the question
I’m more than happy to get my scooter licensed and insured. Instead I have to drive my 145 mph 2.2t car to work. Cycling here is hard work (hills) so a scooter is ideal.
Love riding my scooter about my home town. Never had any problems with anyone, its usually just smiles and waves. Often its questions about the scooter and how old are you? 53 😁
Meh, my dads 65 & loves his as much as his Harley Davidson lol
@@tiki_riot I'm 70 and I've been riding my scooter for more than 2 years now. In fact I just bought a slightly more powerful one, not to go faster, but because it has more grunt getting up hills. (I sold the motorbike in August though).
@@madskier50 yeah I need a better one for uphill, I’m not exactly Twiggy 😂 need a bit more steam haha
Get a push bike then, much more healthy than getting fat on a scooter.
@@tiki_riot They are really catching on around here with a lot of seniors, I ride one too at 69. Get occasional ageist comment but 99% people are fine. Always the odd di...ad though. But I get it over using a cane as well. Ageism and ableism should be considered a form of harassment and made illegal.
The government shouldn't penalize responsible users, because of a few irresponsible ones.
Much like any form of transport, it needs proper structured legislation to allow their use, so long as it's done in a responsible manner.
The situation will only get worse over time, I can see people protesting outside parliament in the future until something is done about it.
Do I want one, yes of course but I'm not disabled so rather than take that risk, I've decided to wait and see what happens.
Well written and brilliantly insightful documentary, touching on a subject that many minsters choose to ignore.
More content like this, please!!
PLEVs are not alone in being quiet, so are electric cars, mobility scooters and bicycles. So the argument that they are uniquely dangerous because you cannot hear them is not a convincing one. I see the main problem, as with all other types of personal transport, is not the machine, it is the way it is used.
An extremely well thought out, presented and informative video - keep up the good work.
You can't hear them coming? Like it's a Prius or a cyclist? Perhaps it's less about getting people to jump out of the way than training PLEV users to give way. Sail before Steam and all that.
The issue needs to be addressed by a number of different government departments with a coordinated response......Best of luck with that one
We are so full of legislation in this country, it must be the only place you get sent a form to fill out thats so complicated it requires you to read a booklet to even slightly understand what to write.
Can you imagine if cars were banned from our roads because certain people are driving them irresponsibly? Don’t target the vehicles clamp down on the idiots that use them
Thank you for making this video ❤️
Thank you for your lovely comment ❤️
that "less than £1 vs £1.30 per litre" is a terrible example. 1 liter of fuel could probably get a scooter like that significantly further than it's battery could; so if it was 30-40%, then the gasoline option is technically breaking even if it's a personal vehicle.
Now obviously normal cars are much less fuel efficient, but if they're too lazy to do the math, they shouldn't have brought it up. The biggest cost with cars is actually insurance - at least where I live and I apparently have cheap insurance because it's mandatory government insurance. Insuring a motor vehicle for it's life can end up costing multiple times the cost of purchasing the vehicle itself (if pre-owned), or similar amounts if new.
Funny how the UK Govt. does nothing about electric bikes or cyclists that do not respect the laws of the road (there are plenty).
3000 seized in the first six months of 2021.
The Tory government is out of touch. We don't want rental scooters
There is something called the right to mobility.
Sue the sociopaths.
@Bercilak de hautdesertwell, I'm in Canada, and we tax tax dollars to the blood diamond encrusted monarchs too, but I asked the ministry of transportation Canada about it and that was how I found out about the human rights right to mobility even exists. It's not well known about, I didn't know about it for 52 years because they didn't seem to care to make sure that people such as yourself and myself had no idea that such human rights exist. I'm 10 miles away from the nearest grocery store alone and rural after leaving the city I grew up in. I shake and feel stiff like a mix of Parkinsons and MS due to high rise residential construction while my wealthy felt that I only deserved a dust mask instead of the 1000 dollar proper breathing apparatus for repeat DOW FireStop D2000 chemical exposures, but I'm an atheist so who cares, right? I moved 4 hours away from Toronto to a run down rural fixer upper 10 miles from the nearest food store.
I just ordered a J2 micro electric car from alibaba that reaches a max speed of 40km per hour.
You can see my ribcage and joints similar to the holocaust.
I'm an atheist that knows that violence and starvation and homelessness never produces afterlives, politicians say I do not know what I'm talking about though.
I eventually moved 4 hours away from a unapologetic bone breakingly violent afterlife professing wannabe chuck norris right winger type of older brother who took over our sadly missed very caring nonviolent atheist parents Toronto home.
I know what falling through the cracks is like, and it makes a cricket sound.
Please be safe, and help make the world a better place for ALL rather than the chosen few one$.
👁️ 👁️
its the rental scooters that mostly tar us all with the same brush.A lot of the people dont care to learn to ride safely and look after a machine when its not there own. Spend your cash on 1 and you will learn to ride it look after it and wear the safety gear you need. And wont drop on pavement and walk off afterwards
I live in the state of NY in a small city and I'm disabled. I have a kaabo mantis 10 and I absolutely love it... its given me so much freedom and here where I live we are permitted to ride right in the street with all other traffic... as long as we follow the basic traffic laws there is no problem... its great... no registration or insurance required. I really feel for you guys in the UK... fight for your rights and freedom. Electric is the future... anyone who cant see where this is going isnt paying attention.
It is not the scooters themselves that are bad but the misuse; so like everything else if misused ( by the general population) it will be withdrawn
First, Really digging the name of the channel and second I agree privately owned electric scooters and things should be made legal. The Market place for these things is allot wider than just you and I
I dont have a disability but if scooters were made legal I'd buy one in a heartbeat and use it for getting too and from work I would save so much in fuel and it would be quicker getting home not getting stuck in traffic
I skipped waiting for legality and have used my v8f that goes 15kmh to fast in my country for 4 months and 1687km. So far i savede 1/3 of the price of my euc on diesel alone. And the added bonus is there is no costly ekstra costs....
I've been using my escooter regularly for the last couple of years. No issue. What distance is your commute?
@@roaduser6438 around 4 miles round trip
@@itsdaley Absolutely perfect. The furthest I've taken mine in one go is 8 miles and that's a bit tiring. But it'd turn a 40 minute walk into a 10minute scoot one way.
Having said that a bike would be legal, cheaper, more stable, make even longer journeys possible, gives you more exercise, doesn't require recharging and shouldn't get you sweaty if you can just cruise. That could be an option depending upon circumstances. Sometimes you can even get a bike for free. I got one off a friend who was complaining it was taking up space in his shed.
@@roaduser6438 it's a good idea, I got myself a normal bicycle before covid and within a month it got stolen from my back garden 😖, where an e-scooter I can keep in my house
A great video and a topic that is very important in these times of trying to find an alternative to cars whatever the reason. I think the government really needs hurry up and get onboard with this and bring in suitable safety regulations etc to accompany the use. To me they can easily be put into the same bracket as an e-bike and use cycle lanes. I don't think they are suitable for my 12 mile commute which I occasionally cycle (although I'd be interested to try it once legal) but there are many that this form of transport would be great for. There is always going to be issues of people misusing things and I don't see any difference from when people cycle on the pavement and other places where they shouldn't.
I had cov19 pneumonia in summer so lungs are not to good ..was thinking of getting a scooter but law put me off. Hope things change soon! Top video cheers
An enlightening perspective on PLEVs. Thanks for the good work you're doing.
I’m disabled and wanting to get a onewheel - scared of being stopped and fined in London
If someone hits and injures someone else, who's going to pay out?
If someone hits and injures someone else when riding an ebike (or a standard pushbike, for that matter), who's going to pay out?
This is a timely topic for me as someone with limited mobility, I have considered the use of an e-scooter or similar, but cannot risk points on my license. Tbh I had no idea there were so many other people in a similar position. This was a fascinating and strangely reassuring film. Good work.
I believe that getting points is massively rare and only happens where a rider has been/is being reckless. I ride my scooter on the road, on shared cycle paths and through a largely pedestrianised town centre. I've scooted past police and PCSOs a number of times, I've been in the bus lane of the A49 and had police drive past without batting an eye lid. Worst I've had was going past a police car that had pulled over a motorist, a policeman shouted after me "they're illegal you know".
You will get other road users acting like twats around you though, same as a bike I suppose. I've been punishment passed by both a car and a bus, their logic presumably being that I'm not legally allowed on the road so they're allowed to act illegally and ignore the highway code whilst around me. Honking their horns, squeezing me off the road, etc.
UK needs to hurry and make plev's legal to ride. (no petrol shortage)
A world wild protest needs to happen to get these things legalized. Your either worried about a green society or you're not. You cannot have it both ways.
Not a problem here in Malta. I've seen so many different types of e vehicles on the road here including stand up scooters. €20 for a license and you are legal.
We need to get our MP's to watch this video if we want to move things forward on legalization.
I believe it is simply because the uk government will make very little money from a PLEVS and when you imagine you wont be using a car, that in itself will be 80+% tax charged they wont get beside any payment from road tax. You cant at this time get insurance for a PLEVS. I can also see us being charged per mile for driving on the roads due to electric cars. maybe this type of tax will be used for PLEVS in the future?
Wrong. The whole idea of the trials(and the Government's aim) is to see if ebikes can be deregulated the same as ebikes. There's no tax nor insurance needed on those.
@@robertstallard7836 Let's see eh!
You have fucking nailed this! The only problems from personal electric vehicles come from rent scooters… which is the only government supported form of pev. As you have pointed out from your video user owned pev’s have massive benefits through disability as well as last mile transport, supplementing the U.K. shoddy public transport system. When used alone most pev’s have a range suffient for them to be used in replacement for over 50% of car journeys, when used in combination public transport pev’s have incredible potential to reduce carbon emissions consequent to combustion powered personal transport. User owned pev’s also pose no risk to disabled individuals in foot as no one in their right mind expects the individual on foot to get out the way of a onewheel, electric scooter, longboard or euc. The whole situation is so stupid and a superb example of the utter and one could even say spectacular ineptitude of today’s government.
Unfortunately those not in their right mind spoil it for everyone.
Why don't the rental scooters have docks?