Firms and campaigners have expressed their disapproval of the postponement of new regulations concerning e-scooters, saying that the government has neglected to use the occasion to make the safety rules more stringent.
E-scooters can be found and bought in many places, however they can only be used lawfully on private property or as part of an experimental rental service.
In the King's Speech, there was no reference to any new regulations, thus indicating that the adoption of laws would be postponed.
The government has pledged to prolong the already existing trials until May 2026.
It informed the BBC that its purpose was "to accumulate further verification as the technology advances to make sure any prospective legislation is balanced between safety, user responsibility and market expansion".
The organisation declared that it would seek opinion on prospective regulations such as minimum rider age and top speed later this year.
In May 2022, the Queen's Speech revealed regulations concerning e-scooters.
Currently, it is only legal to ride e-scooters on roads via rental trial programs established in many cities and towns.
E-scooters included in these tests have a maximum speed of 15.5mph and are equipped with automatic lighting to ensure safety.
Nevertheless, e-scooters were not referenced in King's Speech on Tuesday, greatly troubling activists and firms.
CoMoUK, a charity which backs e-scooter use and whose members include businesses involved in its testing, cautioned the UK is lagging behind the rest of the globe due to its "inaction" concerning e-scooters.
Laws that would be implemented would guarantee that e-scooters, no matter whether rented or belonging to an individual, would be subject to stringent safety standards, as outlined by CoMoUK.
It is estimated that in the UK, there are 750,000 privately owned e-scooters that are not regulated.
Dott cautioned that the postponement of policy concerning e-scooters in London was causing the UK to lose out on the advantages of the transportation option. Furthermore, it made it hard to substantiate investments in the country in the long term.
Much debate has surrounded the safety of e-scooters, and for those who advocate for vulnerable pedestrians, new laws could be a chance to address their worries.
Guide Dogs expressed their "disappointment" regarding the postponement of legislation meant to tackle the issues caused by irresponsible e-scooter utilization.
It called on the government to bring in laws promptly.
The charity has asserted that the utilization of e-scooters in an antisocial manner is very dangerous for people with visual impairment because of their heftiness, velocity, lack of sound, and the fact that they are often used on sidewalks.
Rental e-scooters have been left on sidewalks, which has caused problems, according to the report.
Guide Dogs is advocating for the necessity of docked parking for rental e-scooters, regulations on their weight, capability and velocity, and strict monitoring in case of any misuse.
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