Which are the best e-scooters available in the UK, and where is it legal to ride them?
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Mobile, nifty, fun and easy to use - it’s little wonder e-scooters are so popular in the UK and Europe. They’re emission-free, swift, and allow their users independence.
Now, of course, an e-scooter won’t keep you fit, the way a bicycle will. But because they can be folded in half, you can board a standing-room-only train with an e-scooter without causing grief to other passengers, then scoot off to your final destination on the other side.
Where is it legal to drive electric scooters in the UK?
While it is perfectly legal to sell, buy and own an e-scooter, current UK law forbids their use anywhere other than on private land, and with the owner’s permission. However, in most big UK cities, thousands of riders are flouting the law every day and, in the vast majority of cases, getting away with it.
Electric scooters in the UK are currently governed by the 1835 Highways Act which restricts the use of Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEV) to private land.
Truth is, we are aeons behind other countries when it comes creating legislation that applies to e-scooters, though the government has at least started a series of e-scooter trials in a number of cities across the UK.
Nevertheless, we can expect the current legal situation to remain as is until at least late 2022.