Government extends e-scooter trials to May 2024

Tier took over the running of the e-scooter trial in Essex in May 2022

The government has extended a trial of electric scooters for another 18 months.

The Department for Transport (DfT) will continue gathering data on the technology in districts of Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Chelmsford and Colchester in Essex.

Legislation on e-scooters was expected in May 2024.

The technology has been championed as a zero-carbon means of travelling, however, their use has also been criticised by blind and partially-sighted advocacy groups.

E-scooters, used here in Brussels, Belgium, have been trialled in the UK since July 2020

“The e-scooter trials are helping us to better understand the benefits of properly regulated, safety-tested e-scooters and their impact on public space," said a DfT spokesman.

Trial e-scooters are legal so long as riders stick to the road and own at least a provisional UK driving licence.

However, it is illegal to use privately-owned e-scooters in any public place.

Essex adopted the trial in December 2020.

Abbie-Louise Kirby, from Colchester, fell off an e-scooter in October

Essex Police said it seized 317 e-scooters in 2021, including private e-scooters, and said there were 167 crimes associated with them, including theft and robbery.

The DfT recorded 931 accidents involving e-scooters in the 12 months ending June 2021.

'Massive nuisance'

Abbie-Louise Kirby, 28, from Colchester, has been in a leg brace after falling off one of the trial scooters on 20 October.

"If there were more regulations on parking them, and regulations in general, then it is a great idea," said the mother-of-two, speaking to BBC Essex.

"Sometimes they can be great and sometimes they can be a massive nuisance."

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• E-scooters: More than 500 injuries recorded in London last year

• Private e-scooters: What should happen next?

An Essex County Council spokesman said it was working closely with disability groups to "fine tune the operation model".

"Public safety is of the utmost concern," he added.

The DfT has overseen trials in 31 different UK counties and unitary authorities, and other trials have already been extended to May 2024, including the one in Birmingham.