Electric scooters set to be legalised on UK roads and bike paths
ELECTRIC scooters could soon be legal to use on UK roads for the first time.
Ministers are set to begin consultation next month on how to regulate the use of e-scooters to ensure road safety.
The high-speed scooters would then be trialled across the country, and if successful they could be introduced nationwide.
Riders would be allowed to use the e-scooters on roads and cycle lanes to help encourage green transport.
But they would feature speed inhibitors to limit their speed to 15.5mph in a bid to keep users safe.
The proposal comes after TV host and YouTube star Emily Hartridge died last year after her scooter collided with a lorry near her Battersea home.
The crash is believed to be the first fatal collision involving an electric scooter in the UK.
Her death sparked calls from safety experts to introduce tougher restrictions on high-powered scooters to prevent further tragedies.
Under the Highway Act 1835, it's currently illegal to use e-scooters on public roads and pavements, with riders only permitted to use them on private property.
But many people ignore the law, often using them to commute to work.
If caught by police, riders can be hit with a £300 fixed-penalty notice and six points on their driving licence.
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George Freeman, a transport minister, told The Times: "We are considering this closely.
"The Department for Transport is committed to encouraging innovation in transport as well as improving road safety."
He said the Department for Transport will issue a consultation on the scooters in "due course."