The Government is facing growing calls to introduce long-awaited legislation regulating e-scooters and e-bikes in the upcoming King’s Speech.

Calls come as casualty rates rise and emergency services warn of growing safety risks associated with illegal vehicles and lithium-ion battery fires.

Despite E-scooters and E-bikes being motorised vehicles that can easily be derestricted to high speeds, there is no effective regulation of the industry or of the use of the increasingly popular E-technology on roads and pavements.

Back of the pack

An open letter coordinated by Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK) has urged ministers to include permanent e-scooter legislation in the Government’s programme, arguing that the UK is now lagging behind Europe on micromobility policy.

The UK remains the only country in Europe yet to legalise e-scooters for general road use.

Privately owned e-scooters are still illegal on public roads, pavements and cycle lanes unless they are part of one of the Government’s approved rental trials.

Those trials, first introduced in 2020, have now been extended until May 2028, while the Department for Transport continues to gather evidence on safety, rider behaviour and integration with public transport.

The long wait

However, operators and transport groups say the continued reliance on temporary schemes is creating uncertainty and holding back investment in low-cost, low-emission transport.

Voi Technology’s senior public policy manager, Harry Foskin, said the Government must now move beyond “endless trials”.

“The Government must use the King’s Speech to introduce clear, permanent e-scooter legislation that enables safe, reliable and legal e-scooters to operate UK roads,” he said.

“E-scooters are no longer a novelty; they are here to stay. Clear regulation will protect riders and pedestrians by removing unsafe vehicles from our streets and ensuring regulated, safe e-scooters are accessible to all.”

Data from Voi shows that 35% of journeys made on its scooters are for commuting, while 16% are used for errands and day-to-day travel.

More than 50 million journeys have now been completed using the company’s vehicles in the UK.

Public danger

At the same time, casualty figures involving e-scooters continue to concern road safety experts.

Department for Transport estimates recorded 1,357 casualties involving e-scooters in the year ending June 2025, including six fatalities and 459 serious injuries.

Road safety campaigners say those figures likely underestimate the scale of the problem because many incidents involving privately owned e-scooters are not formally recorded.

Richard Dilks said the current legal uncertainty is undermining wider transport integration.

“We know from the trials that shared e-scooters are a key part of the system in the areas where they operate, with 44% of users combining rides with public transport,” he said.

“The UK stands alone in Europe by failing to legalise e-scooters, and these continuing delays directly contradict the Government’s own goals for integrated transport.”

Police forces have also raised concerns about dangerous riding, illegal modifications and confusion around the law.

Merseyside Police said it seized more than 1,000 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters during the past year, including some modified to travel at speeds exceeding 50mph.

Hot topic

Emergency services are increasingly worried not only about collisions but also the growing number of fires linked to e-bikes and e-scooters.

London Fire Brigade reported attending 206 e-bike and e-scooter fires during 2025, the highest annual total on record and equivalent to firefighters responding to an incident every other day on average.

Two people died in such fires during 2025, bringing the total number of fatalities linked to e-bike and e-scooter fires in London to five since 2023.

Deputy Commissioner Spencer Sutcliff warned that lithium battery fires can be “explosive” and have “devastating consequences”.

He called for urgent regulation to improve product safety and remove dangerous batteries and chargers from online marketplaces.

Time for action

Road safety experts say regulation is now urgently needed to clarify where e-scooters can legally operate, establish mandatory safety standards and improve enforcement powers against unsafe riders and illegal vehicles.

Potential legislation could include speed limiters, mandatory lighting, braking standards and rules on rider age, insurance and helmet use.

Supporters argue that formal regulation would allow safer, approved vehicles to operate legally while making it easier for police and authorities to target dangerous or modified devices currently being used illegally.

With the King’s Speech approaching, pressure is intensifying on ministers to finally replace years of temporary trial schemes with a permanent legal framework that balances innovation, public safety, and enforcement.