I appreciate that people with disabilities, especially those who are blind and visually impaired, can be more greatly affected by some of the negative impacts of electric scooter use. It is important that our streets are as accessible as possible, and I welcome that the Department for Transport has carried out a preliminary assessment of the impacts of e-scooters on blind people. While there is currently limited evidence available, the current trials have been designed to enable the Government to gather robust and comprehensive evidence of the impact of e-scooters on all road users.
Local authorities must engage with local groups that represent the interests of disabled people before submitting a proposal to hold a trial, to allow concerns to be raised and, where possible, mitigated before trials commence. I understand that the Department has rejected proposals where this engagement has not taken place. Officials have also engaged with a range of key stakeholders, including representatives from Guide Dogs, the Royal National Institute of Blind People, and the National Federation of the Blind of the UK.
As the trials continue to run, the Department has considered the possible implications for visually impaired people and have attempted to minimise these through measures such as not allowing e-scooter on pavements, and asking local authorities to consider in their trial plans ways to avoid e-scooters creating an obstruction when not in use. Following consultation last year, the Department now requires all e-scooters used in trials to have a horn or bell so that users can make others aware of their presence and have also asked operators to develop more robust geo-fencing to tackle pavement riding and other anti-social behaviour.
Any future rules for e-scooters may not be exactly the same as the rules in trials, but they will be based on the evidence gathered.