CRA Motoring News – UK
By LUKE CHILLINGSWORTH
ELECTRIC scooter riders partaking in a government pilot scheme will be tracked and provided insurance by the operator according to chiefs at the Department for Transport (DfT).
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Electric scooters will be provided with a “unique identification number” while user details will be captured by operators. The DfT confirmed they are preparing a “comprehensive” evaluation plan to gather evidence from the trials including the safety risks presented by the new tools.
The comments come days after motoring lawyer Nick Freeman raised his concerns over the new tools to Express.co.uk.
Mr Freeman warned the scooters could become a “nightmare” for the motorist and warned prosecutions could rise.
He warned the legal default would be that drivers were at fault for incidents involving a scooter with motorists needing to prove their innocence to escape charges.
He has pushed for a registration scheme to identify those using the scooters to avoid riders flouting the law with “impunity”.
However the DfT has reassured motorists that all riders will have their driving licence checked and be monitored at all times to avoid putting drivers at risk.
This will offer some reassurance to motorists that riders involved in accidents or causing issues could be traced back to using the scooter.
In a statement to Express.co.uk, a DfT spokesperson said: “In terms of tracking those using e-scooters, user details including a licence check will be captured by operators.
“Each e-scooter will also have a unique identification number. All e-scooter will have insurance, provided by the operator. For more info on this, please speak to the individual operators.”
Article Credit to Express.
