E-scooters could be trialled on Leeds public roads

The riding of e-scooters could be formally allowed on public roads in Leeds as part of a pilot scheme by the council.

Transcript

00:00The streets of Leeds could soon be awash with even more e-scooters,

00:04as Leeds City Council has announced its plans to allow them onto public roads under a new pilot scheme.

00:10Subject to government permission, the trial would permit the electric vehicles to be used across selected parts of the city,

00:16in a move aimed at cutting car use and easing congestion.

00:20A recent council report highlighted the potential benefits of e-scooters,

00:24noting that they could reduce traffic and help lower carbon emissions.

00:28It's said one in five e-scooter trips typically replaces a car journey,

00:33offering a quicker and greener alternative for short urban commutes.

00:38At present, privately owned e-scooters remain illegal on UK public roads, pavements and cycle lanes,

00:44as they're classed as motor vehicles requiring insurance, tax and registration,

00:49but controlled rental trials have been underway across the UK since July 2020,

00:54following a green light from the Department for Transport.

00:56More than 30 towns and cities have taken part with mixed results.

01:01Leeds originally expressed an interest in joining the scheme five years ago,

01:05but pulled back due to the complexity of redesignating cycle lanes.

01:10The city is gearing up to revisit the idea, with a potential launch date pencilled in for April next year,

01:16running through to spring 2028.

01:19The council already operates an e-bike share scheme which has faced issues with vandalism.

01:24Similar concerns led to the cancellation of Sunderland's e-scooter trial in 2023,

01:29but the Leeds report suggests that e-scooters may fare better,

01:32describing them as more controllable and resilient than e-bikes.

01:36The report noted a drop in vandalism cases,

01:39potentially signalling a shift in public attitude towards shared micromobility options.

01:44The report indicates that the