GRANT SHAPPS, Minister for Transport, intends to make e-scooters legal on our roads, saying trials were successful. Successful? Obviously, he did not consult the public or listen to road safety groups.
He ignores that many towns and cities in England stopped the e-scooter trail after numerous injuries and complaints. He ignores that ambulance call-outs in England since January 2020 exceed 840 incidents involving e-scooters. However, this could be over 2,000 since only a third of ambulance trusts provided data.
He has ignored the 11 deaths and thousands of injuries to pedestrians. He ignores that the London Fire Brigade has already attended 98 fires caused by the lithium batteries on e-scooters and e-bikes. London Transport has banned e-scooters from all its transport network. Criminals using e-scooters are running rings around the police.
The e-scooter brigade thinks that pavements and shopping malls are for their exclusive use and the police do nothing.
The Scottish Government should declare that these lethal machines will never be allowed on Scottish roads and pavements.
Now that would show Independence.
Clark Cross,
Springfield Road,
Linlithgow
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here