The London Road Safety Council recently held an online session, providing its elected members with more information on that ‘hot topic’ that is e-scooters.
The guest for the session was Jerome Sewell, head of Rolltech, the green transport safety training division of community interest company Unique Talent.
He is responsible for the design and coordination of e-scooter safety training in London and also heads a green transportation council representing a range of community organisations and their interests in the sector.
E-scooters are being more and more common on the roads of London, particularly since the launch of TfL’s trial rental scheme in the summer 2021.
While the use of privately owned devices remains illegal – it is anticipated that the Government may look to change this moving forward.
The session looked at ‘how e-scooters will change the world’ including by helping to deal with congestion and allow faster transport for shorter journeys.
Jerome noted that e-scooters are primarily being used by working commuters and young people.
He explained the current issues with e-scooters, including the ‘speed and dangerousness’ at which they can travel – linking this with the need to provide users with training, similar to the CBT for motorcyclists.
Jerome concluded by looking at some of the research currently taking place – noting that Rollsafe believes any future policies should be ‘informed by robust information’.
He outlined details of future research that Rollsafe will be conducting alongside three universities in Glasgow, Leicester and Leeds.
This project will seek to establish how to educate e-scooter users – and shape initiatives around doing so.
The LRSC has a membership of elected council members and professional road safety officers from the London boroughs.
These sessions are designed to educate members on key and emerging road safety issues.
04 February 2022