Tag Archive: Scotland

  1. Scotland urged to trial e-scooters

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    Source: ZAG Daily

    The Scottish government is being encouraged to introduce shared e-scooter trials in towns and cities to support the country’s climate targets.

    A new policy briefing from CoMoUK, a national charity focused on shared transport, highlights that Scotland has “missed out” on the benefits of e-scooters, which offer a convenient, affordable, and eco-friendly mode of travel.

    Addressed to the Scottish government, public authorities, and the UK Department for Transport, CoMoUK’s guidance follows a statement earlier this year from Scotland’s Transport Secretary, Fiona Hyslop, who suggested that e-scooters would “inevitably” be legalised in the country.

    “Since the initial launch of e-scooter trials in England in summer 2020 there hasn’t been an expansion into other areas,” CoMoUK Chief Executive Richard Dilks told Zag Daily. “We believe areas that have local authorities and operators who are keen to participate in new trials should have them, whether they happen to be in England or Scotland.

    “The Transport Secretary’s comments earlier this year were welcome, and we hope our policy briefing will inform her thinking and help build momentum around e-scooter trials.”

    According to Richard, UK officials need to work closely with their counterparts north of the border to get e-scooter trials off the ground in Scotland.

    “The legal use of e-scooters and decisions around their introduction is broadly a reserved matter for the UK Government. However, in addition to any legislation brought forward by the UK Government, further amendments to devolved legislation would also be required,” a Transport Scotland spokesperson told Zag Daily.

    “Ministers in the previous UK Government publicly stated their intention to bring forward a new regulatory framework to enable the use of micro-mobility vehicles including e-scooters. Both primary and secondary legislation would be required, therefore the timescales for when such a regulatory framework would be in effect remain unclear.

    “Transport Scotland will continue to engage with the current UK Government and monitor developments in this area.”

    CoMoUK’s policy briefing

    CoMoUK’s briefing identifies Scotland’s major cities like Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dundee as ideal locations for shared e-scooter schemes due to their population size. It also highlights smaller towns like Inverness, Perth, Stirling, and tourist spots such as Fort William as potential candidates for such trials.

    The charity believes that pilot schemes would implement strict regulations to enhance road safety, addressing the current issue of illegal, unregulated e-scooters on Scottish roads. CoMoUK has also called on the UK government to legalize e-scooters to mitigate safety concerns related to unregulated vehicles.

    Their research shows that serious safety incidents occur in only one out of every 500,000 e-scooter trips, and they argue that trials could help Scotland achieve its goal of reducing motor vehicle traffic by 20%.

    Richard Dilks concluded by urging Transport Scotland to collaborate with UK authorities and move forward with pilot schemes as soon as possible.

  2. Scotland explores the possibility of e-scooter trials

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    Source: Zag Daily

    Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, has said that e-scooters will “inevitably” be legalised in the country. Currently, all e-scooters are prohibited from use on Scottish roads and pavements.

    In an interview with The Scotsman, Ms. Hyslop suggested the potential for Scotland to join e-scooter trials, following the UK Department for Transport’s extension of such trials for the fourth time south of the Scottish border.

    “When the UK Government announced that trials were to take place, a deadline was set for local authorities to register their interest in participating,” a Transport Scotland spokesperson expressed. “This deadline was set without consultation or advance notice being given to the Scottish Government, and therefore did not provide enough time for the relevant Scottish legislative changes to be made in the context of resources being deployed to respond to the pandemic.

    As a result, it was not possible for any trials to take place in Scotland, however we will continue to engage with the Department for Transport on developments in this area.”

    Transport Scotland outlined the required legislative changes, including amendments to devolved Primary Legislation, Secondary Legislation, and Traffic Regulation Orders.

    Welcoming e-scooters

    National shared transport charity CoMoUK is enthusiastic about extending e-scooter trials into Scotland, highlighting their potential contribution to climate change targets.

    “An e-scooter trial would give Scots a brand new and legal way of trying out this great new form of transport, which could make a significant contribution to helping Scotland and the UK overall meet their climate change targets,” CoMoUK Chief Executive Richard Dilks states. “This is especially relevant given that Scotland has recently given up trying to meet its shorter-term climate targets.“

    CoMoUK advocates for regulated rental e-scooter schemes due to their regulations, including top speeds, hours of operation, where they can be ridden, technical specifications, and rigorous safety standards. According to the charity, 1 serious safety incident only occurs in every 500,000 trips.

    This has been contrasted with unregulated and illegal personal e-scooter usage, stating that it’s “sadly being allowed to shape public perceptions about this mode of transport.”

    Ms. Hyslop emphasized the importance of e-scooter safety considerations before permitting rental trials, echoing the sentiment shared by CoMoUK.

    Richard Dilks of CoMoUK added, “If there is to be a trial of rental e-scooters in Scotland, there should be an open dialogue between the UK and Scottish Governments so any lessons learned south of the border can be shared.“

  3. CoMo Bike Share Annual Reports, UK and Scotland

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    Source: CoMoUK

    The CoMoUK annual Bike Share Report (released for the UK and Scotland) provides key insight into understanding the performance and impacts of the UK’s bike share schemes.

    The 8th annual report provides new insights into the impact of bike share schemes, with CoMoUK highlighting “It provides new evidence for the positive environmental, economic and social effects of bike share schemes on individuals and communities. More than two thirds of respondents reported an increase in their trips by bike. This will be supported by greater access to e-bikes. E-bikes now outnumber conventional pedal bikes in the fleets of UK bike share schemes. 57% of the approximate 25 million hires per year, (between September 2022 and September 2023), were made with e-bikes.”

    Key findings

    1. Bike sharing motivates people to take up cycling.

    UK (left), Scotland (right)

    2. Bike share incentivises more cycling journeys.

    UK (left), Scotland (right)

    3. Bike share increases levels of physical activity.

    UK (left), Scotland (right)

    4. Bike share reduces Carbon emissions

    UK (left), Scotland (right)

    Click here to access the UK’s full report.

    Click here to access Scotland’s full report.

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