Latest news with #escooters
CTV News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
e-scooters on Barrie's horizon?
Barrie residents are asked to voice their opinion on e-scooters in the community. Mon., July 28, 2025. PHOTO: CITY OF BARRIE E-scooters could be just around the next bend if residents agree. Barrie staff is considering permitting electric kick-style scooters (e-scooters) in participation with an initiative from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO). 'As Barrie continues to grow, we're exploring the role e-scooters could play as part of a broader range of transportation options to support mobility for all residents,' said Brett Gratrix, senior project manager of transportation and development services. 'Although they're not currently permitted in Barrie, we're seeing increasing interest and use, which is why we're consulting the public before determining next steps,' Gratrix said. E-scooters are currently not allowed to operate in Barrie on city property or within the public right-of-way, such as city streets, sidewalks or trails. The provincial pilot program allows participating municipalities to choose where and how e-scooters may be used. No decisions about permitting the scooters have been made yet and city staff are offering the public an opportunity to learn about e-scooters, ask questions, and complete a survey about whether to permit them in Barrie. Feedback from the public will be sent to city council which will offer recommendations on whether to opt in or out of the provincial pilot program. pilot program. About the Ontario Ministry of Transportation's (MTO) pilot program Ontario's e-scooter pilot program allows municipalities to choose where and how e-scooters may be used. The pilot is running from January 1, 2020 to November 27, 2029. The pilot program sets out requirements for: Helmets Minimum age for riders Weight and speed restrictions Municipalities that choose to allow e-scooters are responsible for:
Times
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Times
Green light for thousands more e-scooters on England's streets
Tens of thousands of extra e-scooters are set to arrive on English streets after ministers gave the green light to expand city and town rental schemes. Under updated guidance from the Department for Transport (DfT), new local authorities can apply to have e-scooters run by companies such as Lime, Voi or Dott in their area. It is the first time since the pandemic that new areas have been able to apply for e-scooters. Many are expected to do so and industry figures are in discussions with at least 12 councils, including big cities such as Manchester, Brighton, Leeds and Sheffield. At present there are 18 areas across England that operate e-scooter rental schemes on a trial basis, including London, Newcastle and Birmingham, but the scheme has been frozen for new applicants until now. It has proven controversial in some areas. Critics say rental e-scooters and e-bikes litter pavements and are dangerous for users and pedestrians. In July Dame Joan Collins, the actress, said there had been an 'invasion' of e-bikes and e-scooters in London, which was destroying the capital. The rental schemes have certain universal rules, such as a cap on speeds and scooter safety standards, but it is up to individual local authorities to decide regulations on parking or specific areas where users can ride. The changes by the DfT extend the e-scooter rental trial period to at least 2028 while the government gathers evidence on how best to regulate them. Any new area applying to be part of the trial must bring in a 'new feature', such as offering helmets to users or variable speed limits. A senior boss at Voi, the UK's largest rental company, said in June that a transport 'revolution' was coming to the UK, although it may 'hurt a little'. The company aims to have a fleet of 50,000 extra e-bikes and e-scooters on the streets within five years. Christina Moe Gjerde, vice-president for northern Europe at Voi, said the extension could allow the company to double the size of its UK business. 'E-scooters have already proven to be safe, sustainable and affordable, and legislation is needed so they can be here long into the future,' she said. 'We have seen some of the highest utilised schemes in Europe in the UK but growth is falling behind what we are seeing in other markets and part of this is the regulation not allowing for schemes to further grow.' Lime hailed the extension of the e-scooter trial as 'great news'. At present only e-scooters rented through official trials are legal on UK roads but retailers have been selling private devices for years and their popularity has exploded since the pandemic. Police have been accused of largely turning a blind eye to their use. However, in recent years some police forces have stepped up efforts to tackle the problem of e-scooters being used illegally. Since the City of London launched its cycle response unit in 2023, the team have seized and destroyed almost 600 e-bikes and e-scooters, up until June. • What are the police doing about dangerous e-scooter riders? Ministers are said to be acutely aware of the need to find a permanent solution to rules around e-scooters and to bring to an end the patchwork of trials. Transport ministers would like to put forward a bill in the next King's speech to update the law to reflect new modes of transport. It could include changing the way private rental companies are regulated and also make private e-scooters legal for the first time. Under planned laws that would enable private devices to be legalised, riders could be forced to display licence plates and take out insurance. It is believed that such measures would help police clamp down on antisocial behaviour linked to the scooters. The DfT said: 'Safety is at the heart of all e-scooter trials and riding a privately owned e-scooter on public land remains illegal. We are extending trials to deepen our understanding of e-scooter safety as we move towards legislating around their use, to better crack down on nuisance and antisocial use.'
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Council offering asylum seekers 50% off e-bike and e-scooter rentals as Labour leader brags about 'win-win deal'
A London council is offering asylum seekers 50 per cent discounts on renting e-scooters and e-bikes. Wandsworth council's Labour leader Simon Hogg has described the new deal with private firms Lime, Forest and Voi as 'win-win'. The south-west London local authority has published new details about what it calls an 'Access For All' agreement aimed at making the cycles 'fair, safe and affordable'. Eligible residents are described as people in receipt of benefits, children in receipt of free school meals (all ages), asylum seekers/refugees, and children who are 'looked after' or care leavers. MailOnline has asked all involved how the discounts are being financed. This latest scheme comes amid recent revelations about how asylum seekers are using taxpayer handouts to fund their gambling habits. Pre-paid cards given out to pay for basics including food and clothing are being used in gambling venues such as bookmakers, amusement arcades and even casinos, Home Office data shows. In the last year, up to 6,537 asylum seekers have used the government-issued cards at least once for gambling. In the new announcement about its e-bike scheme, Wandsworth Council declared it was 'rolling ahead with its active travel ambitions by working with Lime, Forest and Voi to support e-bikes and e-scooters as a sustainable mode of travel'. In the 12 months from May 2024 to May 2025, there were 6.8million trips made by rented e-bike in Wandsworth. The authority said: 'We're backing that demand by making journeys safer and more accessible for everyone. Jenny Yates, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: 'E-bikes are here to stay as a key part of Wandsworth's transport network. 'We are committed to sustainable travel but it must be done responsibly, so we have worked with Lime, Forest and Voi to make sure e-bikes and scooters work for Wandsworth.' And council leader Mr Hogg, whose party won control of Wandsworth from the Conservatives in 2022, said: 'This deal is a win-win. 'It's about opening up affordable, sustainable travel that helps our residents to access work and entertainment opportunities across the borough. 'We're proud that Lime, Forest and Voi have agreed to join Access for All and to operate respectfully and safely. The new agreement has been announced in Wandsworth, a borough just south of the Thames 'We are making sure that no one is priced out of healthy and sustainable travel.' The scheme also offers discounts for eligible residents towards 'key services from gym sessions to swimming lessons, wedding ceremonies to event tickets'. The latest council announcement on its e-bike scheme also tells of having installed 170 dedicated on-street parking bays for e-bikes and scooters while also creating 'strict no-parking zones in town centres'. Wandsworth council added: 'We're planning further parking bays. The Lime and Voi e-scooters follow strict safety standards, including speed caps, always-on lights and licence checks for e-scooter riders.'
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
PETER HITCHENS: The drug dealers that shot past me at 40mph and why I fear we're not being told how many people are being killed in e-bike crashes
Millions of people will have been cheered by the Daily Mail's exclusive report yesterday, in which David Churchill revealed that ministers are thinking of doing something about the menace of e-scooters. It has taken them a long time, even though these mechanised tin trays have become a symbol of lawlessness, danger and disorder since they first began to infest our streets a few years ago.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Yahoo
Call to tighten rules on e-scooters and e-bikes
A council has called for stricter rules to be introduced for e-bikes and e-scooters. Broxtowe Borough councillors passed a motion on Wednesday calling for their speed limit to be reduced, as well as for licensing requirements to be brought in. The council will be writing to the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, to raise the issue. Councillor Adam Stockwell raised concerns over riders "swerving dangerously in and out around cars", not obeying traffic lights, speeding, being hard to see, and said he had witnessed users deliberately "riding at speed" toward pedestrians. He added: "All it takes is one slip or one miscalculation or it being ridden at an older resident and that's going to be a serious collision with serious injuries, no doubt." The council has called for the current 15.5mph (24.9kmph) speed limit - the national limit for e-bikes without pedalling - to be reduced, that vehicles should be registered, and new licences and a training course be introduced for usage. Beeston residents told the Local Democracy Reporting Service they backed the appeal. One bike shop worker said he routinely sees e-bike riders "flying across the road" while another Beeston resident who works with bicycles said: "I ride one myself as my knee is totally shot - everyone who rides one, including myself, should be licensed. "E-bikes over the speed limit should be confiscated anyway, but the police can't catch them. "E-scooters are bombs on wheels." Broxtowe Borough Council's motion calls for action generally on e-bike and e-scooter use. Neighbouring Nottingham City Council operates a Lime e-bike hire scheme, which extends into the county to cover Beeston in Broxtowe. A spokesperson for Lime said: "We take vandalism, theft and anti-social behaviour seriously and encourage the public to report incidents to us – including time and location – so we can take swift action. "It's crucial we work together with the council and police to deter misuse and hold offenders accountable. This includes rider education, enforcement tools and close coordination with local authorities to ensure the service remains safe and accessible for everyone." Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. More on this story Residents have 'had enough' of abandoned e-bikes E-scooters and e-bikes seized in crackdown Related internet links Local Democracy Reporting Service
