E-mobility is the future of travel, so we need new laws

CEO and co-founder of Swytch Technology, Oliver Montague, believes that e-mobility is the future of inner-city transport in the UK, but knows that it needs to be properly regulated in order to be fully embraced

Oliver Montague

Oliver Montague

E-mobility is the future of travel - and we should be looking to embrace it in the safest way possible. Whilst the e-bike represents the most efficient way to get around, if regulated in a safe way, e-scooters could have a large impact in reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable forms of travel.

In the UK, e-scooters are banned on public roads. The problem is that when you buy an e-scooter, retailers don't mention that they are only legal on private land. The onus now lies on The Department for Transportation to speed up on regulations to enable them to be used on roads in a safe way.?Mandates that would control factors such as wheel size, battery safety, lights, and speed need to be examined in order for the country to grasp the benefits of e-scooters.

In the UK, e-scooters are widely sold, with an estimated 750,000 privately owned e-scooters. As it stands, they are currently only legal on private land or from trial hire schemes. There was no mention of new regulations on e-scooters in the King's Speech on the 7 November, meaning legislation will be delayed, with the government looking to extend existing trials until May 2026.

Research shows that 27% of the nation want to change to an electric-powered mode of transport in the next few years, according to a new study by bike engineers, Swytch Technology, comment on how e-mobility should be embraced, in the safest way possible.

Swytch's latest study revealed that 15% of the population will be converting to using a bike or electric transport over and above driving in the next few years, and Swytch Technology has made it its mission to make sustainable transport accessible for everyone.

Mandates that would control factors such as wheel size, battery safety, lights and speed need to be examined in order for the UK to grasp the benefits of e-scooters fully. There are vulnerable pedestrians, such as the visually impaired, who are affected by the use of e-scooters on pavements, where legislation to regulate push-bikes and e-bikes bans anyone over the age of fourteen from using a bike on the pavement.

The Swytch Kit allows people to turn any bike electric for under £600, with a pocket-sized battery that costs less than 0.4 pence to charge per 10 miles range.
With the popularity of e-mobility on the rise, implementing legislation on e-scooters will not only make their use safer for pedestrians and other road users, but also for the rider. By delaying legislation on e-scooters, the government risks increasing uncertainty in the future of their use in the UK, which may limit the scope for more investment in infrastructure.

Oliver Montague is chief executive and co-founder of Swytch Technology