Legalize Segways, Go-Peds and other personal electric transporters
Please update outdated and archaic statutes to permit new electric vehicles to be ridden on the road like electric bicycles.
Personal transporters and electric scooters, e.g. the Segway Personal Transporter or the Go-Ped, are considered motorized vehicles by the Department for Transport and subject to road traffic laws. Oddly enough, electric bicycles, which are also powered, are waived from these requirements and are legal to ride in the United Kingdom without any encumbrances.
There are four laws that need to be updated to permit these vehicles to be used.
– Highway Act of 1835
– Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986
– Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 (VERA) and
– Road Traffic Act 1988.
The Highway Act of 1835 bans these vehicles from being operated on pavement or road in England Wales (Section 72 of the Highway Act 1835). Certain vehicles used by disabled drivers are exempted from these requirements but only where they use Class 2 or Class 3 invalid carriages. Scooters are not classed as invalid carriages and so cannot be used on pavements.
Under the Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986, the Department of Transpor considers these electric scooters to be motor vehicles even though they travel at less than 18mph. These vehicles need to obtain registration and comply with basic safety standards. Most two-wheeled vehicles that travel faster than 4mph have to comply with the European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA), which came into operation on 17 June 1999. The European Union does not understand how to classify these new personal electric vehicles. Member countries can pass their own specific legislation to handle them but the United Kingdom has refused to do so. The European Commission have indicated to the DfT that:
“No EC whole vehicle type- approval has been sought as the Segways is not primarily intended to travel on the road. If this manufacturer (or manufacturer of a similarly propelled vehicle), should eventually decide to seek EC type approval for such a vehicle intended for road travel, [the Commission] consider that it would need to be on the basis of Directive 2002/24/EC on the type approval of two or three wheel vehicles.”
“Member States have the right to lay down the requirements which they consider are necessary to ensure the protection of road users (i.e. may fix the conditions for allowing non EC type-approved vehicles on its roads).”
The Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 (VERA) also needs to be updated. This states that every mechanically propelled vehicle used or kept on a public road should be registered and licensed. Electric scooters are mechanically propelled so they require registration and a vehicle registration licence (tax disc). Additionally, the user would need a driving licence and motor insurance. This legislation also enforces certain construction and lighting requirements that should not be relevant to electric bicycle substitutes.
Because electric scooters do not meet the relevant requirements for use on UK roads, and because there is no separate legislation here for public road use by non-EC type-approved vehicles, they cannot be registered and licensed for use on a public road in the United Kingdom. As a consequence, any user of such a vehicle on a public road is likely at the very least to be committing the offences of using the vehicle without insurance and using the vehicle without an excise licence.
Finally, drivers of electric scooters are in breach of section 87 and section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. As such drivers require a driving licence and third party insurance. Because these vehicles cannot be licensed for use on a road, they do not come within the categories of vehicle covered by a driving licence. Therefore, any person using an electric scooter on a road, even with the best of intentions, will be violating their driving licence.
Why does this matter?
The laws dealing with new electric motorized vehicles are woefully out of date. These new vehicles are green, make wonderful substitutes for bicycles and can reduce congestion in crowded cities like London. Personally, when using a Go-Ped in London, I cut my commute time by a half and was able to operate the scooter safely in the bicycle lanes of London. We should be encouraging more alternative forms of transport like the Segway or Go-Ped, not banning them.
All of these vehicles are considered motorized vehicles by the Department of Transport because there were no green, electric substitutes for bicycles when the laws were written.
Because of technology, more models will be forthcoming. For instance the New Zealand company YikeBike intends to release its motorized unicycle this fall.
It is clear that these laws are out of date and incorrect.
Suggested by hussein and tagged electric, electric transporters, motoring, motorized, pavement, personal, scooter, segways, vehicles. 7 Comments. Image source
Agree with the sentiment. I have written to various MPs and MEPs about the same issue. You need to update your coverage of the legislation though ; the law has been updated, but not helpfully.
At present, electrically assisted pedal cycles are detailed under European Union directive 2002/24/EC and European product safety standard EN 15194 in relation to the UK’s Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 (SI 1983/1168) and subsequent legislation.
Copy of my email as sent follows:
I am writing to you in relation to an area of legislation that I hope
you and others in The European Parliament may consider amending the
European E-Bike and Pedelec/Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles
Regulations. I am aware that there is UK legislation related to these
issues and have also written to my MP, Kate Hoey, about this.
At present, this legislation means that, in Europe including the UK,
E-Bike and Pedelec/Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations
regulations apply to certain bicycles, tandem bicycles or tricycles
fitted with pedals by means of which they are capable of being
propelled. For the regulations to apply, the motor assistance must be
provided by an electric motor and not by an internal combustion engine.
The electric motor must not be able to propel the machine when it is
travelling at more than 15mph. Furthermore, the vehicle must also meet
the following requirements:
Maximum kerbside weight (including batteries but without rider) shall
not exceed
– Bicycle: 40 kg – Tandem Bicycle: 60 kg – Tricycle: 60 kg
Maximum continuous rated power output of the motor shall not exceed
– Bicycle: 200W – Tandem Bicycle: 250W – Tricycle: 250W
[this information was kindly provided by the Department for Transport]
Now, I understand the purpose of this legislation is to support road
safety, which is laudable and legitimate. There is clearly an attempt
within this legislation to minimise the risk to road uses and
pedestrians by limiting the momentum and thus the potential for damage
by a rider and vehicle. I am sure you appreciate the practicalities of
this.
My conflict with the legislation is the slightly inaccurate application
of the science and the elements that do not contribute to safety.
Momentum is a product of velocity and mass.
The legislation correctly limits the mass of the vehicle, as this is a
factor in momentum and therefore of risk.
The legislation correctly limits velocity – by restricting motor
assistance to the vehicle at below 25kph/15mph
But why…
…does the legislation restrict the power of the motor, which is
surely irrelevant if the appropriate limits to velocity are in place?
…does the legislation insist on “pedal assist”, as this contributes
nothing obvious to safety (and actually enables the vehicle to travel
faster than 15mph, making it more not less dangerous)?
So, neither pedal assist nor the power of the motor are direct
contributors to vehicle safety.
Why bother? Why is this relevant? There are number of innovative urban
transport solutions (I point to the Trikke Pon-E and award winning
YikeBike) that are illegal as a result of the legislation. Both could
contribute to decongesting the city and improving CO2 emissions without
endangering rider or the the public. But we aren’t allowed to use them
legally, for no apparently logical reason.
Please would you raise this with the relevant people in Brussels and
Strasbourg?
Hey this is great information.
I have just bought a Trikke. I was thinking of adding an electric motor to it.
I wondered as you actually propel this vehicle by pushing with your legs( like pedals!) could this be classed as a legal electric bike?
Love to know what you think on this detail
Thanks
Good Idea. I’d love to see these devices legalized.
I like this; however I won’t hold my breath. UK as a whole is anti-change. It takes woeful of time to make changes in legislation that overall purpose is lost.
Other aspect is about revenue. Once such transport is allowed and especially without license, road tax and insurance, government will lose significant revenue. Nobody likes to prioritise something which will result into loss of revenue for them.
If you think government ministers give damn about congestion in London then you are joking. Whole purpose of congestion charge is to raise X million for treasury and it has nothing to do with congestion or environment.
Recent changes mean vehicles previously classed as green have to pay congestion charge as well. If more and more people start using electric vehicles, government will start losing revenue and hence change law to charge more.
Along those lines…. at the moment we pay 60% fuel duty on petrol, diesel etc. Suppose due to technology advances, they invent wonderful battery and solar cell which will provide efficient long lasting electricity supply, government will certainly apply fuel duty on 100% green energy as well.
Individual citizens can never win.
I wonder if the government took a few seconds to contemplate this…
if legislation prevents the use of electric powered personal vehicles then they are stifling the creativity and invention that we in the UK are supposed to possess. Because if there is no market what is the point !
Look to the US and Claifornia every single one of the current offerings seems to come from there
Id love to see some well paid Lord stick his neck out for once instead we drown in rhetoric and red tape
Dont worry though Im sure the EC and all their well paid experts will solve this problem……dont you?
The idea author, Hussein, says he uses his GoPed in London. I’m interested to know if you were bothered by the police? My team have a pretty awesome personal transportation device on the drawing board but this legislation prohibits us from executing.
In essence the law says you can go as fast as you like on an electric bike (providing you’re doing the work beyond 15mph) but if you take even a kids electric scooter out of the drive and onto the road it needs to be type approved, you need a licence, an L plate and you must wear a helmet….!
As Ricky points out, the UK is a highly creative society and innovative personal transportation is right on our sweet spot. These laws are killing this as well as the social and environmental benefits such products could address.
I also agree, reluctantly, with another commenter that this is not the kind of legislation that’s easy to change since it’s not a vote winner.
Anyway, if it’s the case that the authorities are not enforcing these laws then perhaps it’s moot. Hence my question for Hussein and anyone else with experience using these devices on the open road.
Alex
yes this is a great topic i would like to know what will happen aswell as i have the go-peds and im not willing to tax or register them as i do not believe it is nescassary for such a slow moving scooter like this its only 49cc and it is not a moped i will understand about putting lights on for other road users but anything to do with the government owning scooters like this is a joke if they wish to crush it they can its not worth it