Electric scooters can help cities move beyond cars v pedestrians

The government is showing signs of legalising electric scooters on roads, but new laws should be about safety, not horsepower

If there's one thing we can all agree on, it's that being hit by a scooter hurts less than being hit by a bike. That may sound like a strangely negative place to start, but it's sort of fundamental to why I'm glad the government is finally showing signs of legalising the use of electronic scooters on public roads across the UK.

The current state of the law is a mess. Its broad strokes are reasonable enough: powered vehicles require an MOT and registration to use on public roads, while unpowered vehicles do not. Pavements are for foot traffic only. Access requirements complicate matters, but only a little: wheelchairs, both manual and powered - legally, "class three invalid carriages" - can go on pavements, while some - class four - can go on roads as well.