E-scooter regulation 'not a priority' - minister

A public consultation on proposed laws was carried out in 2021

E-scooter and e-bike regulations are "not a priority" and will not be introduced on the Isle of Man in the near future, the infrastructure minister has said.

An increasingly common sight on UK streets, the use of e-scooters on Manx public highways is illegal.

A 2021 public consultation, which received 78 responses, found 70% supported the introduction of electric scooters and higher-powered electric bicycles.

But, when quizzed on the progress of draft laws, Tim Crookall MHK said it was not a "huge issue" as "we don’t see hundreds of them whizzing about" on the island.

The proposed regulations would have banned e-scooters from pedestrian pathways, but allowed them to be used on roads and cycle lanes.

Under the terms of the draft laws, riders would be limited to speeds of up to 24km/h (15mph) and would have to be over 14 years old.

It would not be mandatory to wear a helmet.

When the consultation was launched in January 2021, the former infrastructure minister, Tim Baker, said it "made perfect sense" to introduce a clear policy to encourage the uptake of "this low-emission way of travelling".

'Waste of time'

Asking for an update during the June sitting of Tynwald, David Ashford MHK pointed out that the minister told members in February a finalised version of draft regulations was being reviewed and would be considered later in the year.

He queried if the minister's new stance meant the resources spent on draft regulation had been "a waste of time".

In response, Mr Crookall said some insurers had "huge doubts" about the proposed regulations, and residents saw the move as "trying to fix a problem that does not exist".

The department, or any future minister, "could fall back on the work" carried out so far "if and when it is needed", the minister added, but for now the regulations were "not a priority", he said.