Thousands of London commuters have started avoiding the city’s underground trains and city buses because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead of public transports, they are preferring an electric form of vehicles like their personal electric scooters.
Costing starts from 300 pounds (roughly $400) and able to run at typically 25 km/h, electric kick scooters or electric scooters is becoming a common sight in the cycle lane and city streets of London.
But unless the UK government is giving a green light to rented electric scooter service, riding an electric scooter is still in the trial and the law prohibits citizens to ride an electric kick scooter on the city lane.
A worker in the city of London named Erica Close said that “Despite the regulation, Coronavirus situation and desire to make the world greener, made me convert to an electric scooter.”
"Everything's getting electric nowadays, so why not join the bandwagon like everybody else and become eco-friendly as well," she said.
She also added by saying, “It does get pretty crowded in the Tube (London underground) when you head to work in the morning and I would like to steer clear of that for a while until I feel more comfortable.”
Klose said that she would be more than happy if the Government starts implementing smart rules for riding electric scooters and gives the riders a registration and insurance policy just like a motor vehicle.
In May of 2020, the transport minister Grant Shapps introduced a bill to legalise electric scooter on the cycle lane of London and after a long debate, the city of London is ready to host UK’s biggest electric scooter trial.
A government official said, “Around 30 trials are currently underway in other regions, and the results will helping inform a decision on whether and how e-scooters might be legalised”
Itzik Ben Aharon, managing director of e-scooter company 8Tev, wants the law to be changed as soon as possible so people can feel safe riding on public roads. "Why is the UK not leading in the legalisation of micro-mobility?" he said.
An electric scooter rider from London named Kwame Darko-Obiri said it was "bizarre" and “silly” in this current world that he could not able to ride an electric scooter legally on the street. He also added by saying, "I am very safe, see I'm wearing my helmet," he said. "I'm always padded up and I stay on the bike lanes because it's just as safe as riding a bike, even safer."
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