Saqib Bhatti, Member of Parliament for Meriden helped raise awareness of the impact e-scooters have on people with sight loss when they met the charity Guide Dogs at Conservative Party conference.
There has been a rapid increase in the number of fast, heavy and almost-silent e-scooters on our streets since the introduction of limited trial schemes in 2020. However, it remains illegal to ride privately owned e-scooters on public land. Due to widespread confusion about the law the majority of e-scooters on the streets are being used illegally, including on the pavement and at high speeds.
Research by Guide Dogs found that three quarters of people with sight loss who have encountered an e-scooter have already reported having a negative experience. Half of people with sight loss who have encountered an e-scooter have changed their behaviour because of e-scooters, including not going to some parts of their town, changing their regular routes and shortening trips outside to reduce their risk of encountering e-scooters.
The UK Government has indicated that the upcoming Transport Bill will legalise private e-scooters for the first time in England, Scotland and Wales.
Saqib Bhatti MP is supporting Guide Dogs’ Scoot Aware campaign, which calls for urgent action to be taken to ensure e-scooters are safe for everyone, and particularly people with sight loss.
Saqib said:
“Recently, e-scooter trials have been carried out in my constituency of Meriden, along Knowle to Solihull town centre.
“While I welcome better connectivity for my constituency, I will strive to ensure that sufficient testing is carried out before they are introduced. As Guide Dogs point out, e-scooters can be dangerous, especially to those with sight loss.
“People with sight loss should not have to live in fear of encountering an e-scooter. Any legislation around e-scooters should make adequate provisions for the safety of people with sight loss and I will continue to advocate for this. I fully support the Guide Dogs’ Scoot Aware campaign and I look forward to working with them on this.”
