Mark has asked Transport Ministers in the House of Commons if they will issue guidance to parents and children on the use of safe transport to school, including the safe use of electric bikes, (e-scooters and electric skateboards.
Chris Heaton Harris, Minister of State at the Department for Transport, responded as follows:
E-scooters and electric skateboards cannot be used legally on the road or pavement, and the Government would not therefore support their use as a safe way of getting to school. The Department is supporting carefully controlled trials of e-scooters in 32 trial areas which will inform future policy decisions on this matter.
The travel guidance on gov.uk, updated on 17 May, continues to recommend that people should walk or cycle where possible. The Department has no plans to issue further guidance on this matter but will continue to emphasise the importance of walking and cycling to school, and has increased to £18 million its funding of Bikeability training for schoolchildren in the current financial year. Only those over 14 are legally allowed to ride an e-bike, and, like all cyclists, they should follow the advice in The Highway Code. The Bikeability Trust will be reviewing its resources to help more schools prepare for Bikeability training, and will look to include information about e-devices in future.
