Customers buying e-scooters from retailers in Greater Manchester are being made aware of the legal restrictions surrounding their use, according to a new study commissioned by Safer Roads Greater Manchester.
More than 40 stores across Greater Manchester – including high street retailers and independent shops – were visited by mystery shoppers to make sure that staff provide the correct information about the use of e-scooters.
Researchers found that 75% of retailers correctly told customers that it is illegal to ride e-scooters on roads and pavements, and that its only permitted use is on private land. Staff at almost two thirds of the stores surveyed also recommended that customers wear a helmet when riding an e-scooter, even though this is not a legal requirement.
Findings from the exercise, carried out by Safer Roads Greater Manchester in the lead-up to Christmas, will be fed back to the 43 stores visited to allow for improvements to be made where required.
Kevin Hargreaves, highways key route network manager at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), said: “With e-scooters growing in popularity, it’s more important than ever that the people buying them understand the laws that apply to their use.
“This exercise was carried out to ensure that customers were given all the information they required to make an informed decision, and to check that retailers were playing their part by being responsible.
“The only way that someone can legally ride an e-scooter on our roads is to rent one from the government trials currently running in Rochdale and Salford, so long as they meet certain requirements.”
The two trials, which are being conducted as part of a Department for Transport approved pilot, are being led by the respective local authorities with TfGM assisting with the operation and evaluation of the schemes.
Lime, the micromobility company partnering with councils and TfGM on the legal trials, reported that a total of 55,000 riders have made 220,000 trips using the rental scooters, covering a combined total of over 239,000 miles as of January 2022.
