Britons demand new electric scooters laws be unveiled next week as 'endless trials' impact millions

Labour has been urged to introduce a new powered light vehicle class, which would allow e-scooters and other light e-mobility options to be legalised in the UK.

The push has been led by Collaborative Mobility UK, which has called on the Government to use the upcoming King's Speech to finally legalise e-scooters, which have been a dominant transport option over the years.

In an open letter, Keir Starmer, the organisation warned that delays with introducing new laws have been having a "significant adverse impact on investment", denying people access to flexible, affordable, low-carbon transport.

The letter called for urgent legislation to create stable rules for e-scooter usage in the UK instead of the current trial periods.

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The letter detailed: "Shared e-scooters are a popular part of the micromobility landscape in many countries around the world. The UK is the only country in Europe that has not yet legalised e-scooters.

"The current limiting of lawful e-scooter use to Government trials in selected English local authorities is holding back the potential of shared e-scooters to support economic growth and improve people's lives across the UK."

Despite repeatedly committing to legalisation, most recently in the Better Connected transport strategy published in April, there has been little action.

Under current rules, e-scooters are only legal on a public road through one of the trial schemes in England, which started in 2020 and has been extended until May 2028.

In September 2025, the trials had recorded roughly 71.7 million trips by 22.7 million users, with these figures expected to be significantly higher now.

The open letter was co-signed by e-scooter operators, including Lime, Voi, and Bolt, and warned that "endless trials" of e-scooters have been leaving operators and local authorities "stuck in limbo", as well as holding back economic growth.

More worryingly, the lack of clarity surrounding e-scooters has also caused some operators to consider leaving the UK altogether.

Christina Moe Gjerde, a senior executive at Voi, warned that the current rules "cannot go on", with firms stuck in a long-running trial system instead of proper regulation.

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She explained how the lack of clear rules is holding the UK back compared to the rest of Europe, where there are new technologies and innovations coming in.

Ms Moe Gjerde argued that the UK system is "totally over-regulated" and "super restrictive", warning that "urgency from the Government is not there".

The Department for Transport launched a consultation earlier this year, calling on the public to share views on how to better utilise electric scooters.

Richard Dilks, chief executive of CoMoUK, said: "We know from the trials that shared e-scooters are a key part of the system in the areas where they operate, with 44 per cent of users combining rides with public transport."

He explained that there is a "huge opportunity" for integration with local bus services and Great British Railways, but this potential "simply cannot be realised" under current legislation.

"The Government has already committed to acting on this, which is welcome, but it is time to end the delays and provide the clarity and direction that the public, local authorities and operators so desperately need," he warned.

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