Why are electric scooters banned when e-bikes are fine? What if they were capped at 20mph? Below the 25 for bikes
EBikes and scooters are hands down the best solution to London's pollution issue yet people are getting fined for using them.
There is a complete lack of logic in the rulings. The reason why escooters are illegal whereas EBikes are not: throttle. An ebike with a throttle is technically not legal and in the same boat as an escooter.
This distinction is ridiculous as an ecyclist/scooterist with a throttle is safer than someone going the same speed under their own effort.
The law in the UK should be: - throttle is allowed - fine if not wearing proper safety equipment - Speed limit increased to 25 mph or current vehicle speed limit (e.g 20 near schools) - no power limit (this allows heavier people to go the same speed as others, and it allows heavier cargo-type bikes to be much more useful) - Innovate UK/BEIS grants specifically for electric micromobility projects (right now EBikes and scooters are generally barred from these grant competitions)
So therefore they will need insurance, and therefore need registration. And guess what, you can ride an electric scooter or bike at the speeds you mentioned, you just need to register and insure it. It is entirely possible and people do.
What you are suggesting is a way to ride fast vehicles without the social contract of insurance and traceability.
If everyone was required to insure stuffed animals it would be cheap and perfectly "manageable" because the risk would be so low and the overhead would be spread over society but that overhead would still be pissed away on something non-productive because the net benefit to society of insuring stuffed animals is so small.
Being hit by a moped could easily cause life changing injuries, so I'm pleased to see them insured.
There is already voluntary insurance for (e) cycling here. Making it mandatory for some makes no sense.
Ebike is not a moped. Mopeds can go much faster than the proposed limit of 25mph.
Mandatory insurance is a band aid.
By your logic, fat people on bikes should require insurance.
Bike lanes are the solution. Not insurance as insurance and registration only deals with something after an accident.
Escooters are about to be regulated. They should be motorbikes IMHO, but the slower speed and the way people use them make them something different. After all we want less cars around and escooters are a way to that goal.
But please, ban them from sidewalks. Having something fast moving among pedestrians is dangerous. Same for bicycles (and I'm a cyclist), only bike lanes and roads. Furthermore sidewalks are full of obstacles and have way worse pavements than roads.