Electric Scooters Experimental Traffic Regulation (No. 2) Order 2022 - This consultation has now ended

The Council have made an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order to allow Electric Scooters to operate within the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, in Bus Lanes, Cycle Lanes and Highways in Newcastle upon Tyne with a signed speed limit of 30mph or less.
Details are contained in the Notice which is attached in the supporting documents below. Reasons for the Order / why the Council is proceeding by way of experimental order and the Order are also attached below.
If you wish to comment on the Order please complete the survey.  If you wish to object to the Order being made permanent please also email traffic.notices2@newcastle.gov.uk setting out the grounds for your objection.
End date: 25th February 2023
Consultation locality:  All Wards
Consultation purpose: Statutory Notice
Please read the supporting documents, which can be found below in the 'Related Documents' section underneath the survey questions - click on 'Participate' to see them. 
Here are the Consultation Officer's contact details, if you require information about this in a different format (such as large print), please get in touch:
Name: Sarah Gardner
Email:  sarah.gardner@newcastle.gov.uk
We are asking for your contact details so that we can let you know about the outcomes of this consultation. We will store your details securely, we will not share them with anyone else, and we will not use them for any other purpose. If you would like us to remove your contact details from our records, please contact the consultation officer (details above), or email: traffic.notices2@newcastle.gov.uk.
We will use your responses to inform our decision about these proposals. You can find out what will happen next here on www.letstalknewcastle.co.uk, or email: traffic.notices2@newcastle.gov.uk. 
Wards

Start Date

17 August 2022

End Date

26 February 2023

Participants
293

Days Remaining

0

Result

To support a ‘green’ restart of local travel and help mitigate reduced public transport capacity, in July 2020, the Department for Transport (DfT) made regulations allowing trials of rental e-scooters to be fast tracked and expanded.

The original deadline for the end of the trials was 30 November 2021, but trials have been extended 4 times:

- firstly to March 2022 to allow time for gathering evidence following a slower than expected start to trials during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- secondly to November 2022 after DfT issued updated guidance in February 2022 designed to enhance existing safety measures.
- thirdly to 31 May 2024, which was to allow DfT to reflect on the further analysis or evidence that may be needed and would be beneficial.
- fourthly, this time to May 2026, which will enable DfT to build on current learning across areas including usage, safety, and environmental impacts, and to explore changing travel patterns since the coronavirus pandemic and as e-scooters become more embedded in public life.

A key requirement for the trial is that Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) were updated where required, to allow rental e-scooter use. Specifically, the purpose of either an experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO) or a temporary traffic regulation order (TTRO) is to allow e-scooters’ use in bus lanes and cycle lanes in Newcastle.

As the Experimental Traffic Regulation (No.2) Order 2022 has expired, to continue with the trial, a new temporary legal order has been made to allow electric scooters to use Highways, Bus Lanes and Cycle Lanes in Newcastle upon Tyne.  As was the case previously, only electric scooters hired from, or, operated by authorised companies or persons can be legally included on the trial.  Electric scooters not used as part of the trials will remain illegal on the road, in cycle lanes and tracks, and on footways.  However, electric scooters will only be permitted on a highway subject to a speed limit of 30mph or less, and they will not be permitted to use the High-Level Bridge.

Related Documents

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  • Traffic-related consultations

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