Jersey gears up for e-scooters

Tuesday 22 November 2022

An impending law change and support from Evie has seen Jersey roll a small step closer to allowing e-scooters on its roads.

Infrastructure Minister Tom Binet recently approved various changes to the law governing road signs, preparing it for expected developments, including more electric charging points, bus lanes, more cyclists and car clubs.

The Ministerial Decision also included a specific section on e-Scooters, which Evie CEO Gavin Breeze says the company would be ready to offer to islanders to hire, should Government allow it.

“Jersey already has a fleet of publicly available e-bikes and there is discussion around the introduction of other mobility solutions such as e-scooters that have recently been introduced in the UK and have been available in other jurisdictions for some time," a report accompanying the Ministerial decision read.

“While updating the Order, foreseeable provision should be included for such mobility solutions to enable their introduction, if desired, at a future date. 

“Such provision would include signing for parking/charging spaces, signs showing areas where use is/is not permitted and other associated signage.”

E-scooters are classed as motor vehicles in Jersey and are covered by the same laws and regulations that apply to all motor vehicles. 

As such, e-scooters would need to be licensed, insured and meet technical safety standards set out in road traffic legislation to use public roads lawfully. 

Pictured: Paris is currently considering if it should ban the use of rental e-scooter operators because of safety concerns.

Currently, it is not possible to register e-scooters in Jersey or obtain a licence or insurance for them. It is therefore only permissible to use e-scooters on private property.

While it is legal to buy or sell an e-scooter in Jersey, riding them on public roads, pavements or cycle lanes is against the law.

E-scooters are being trialled in numerous parts of the UK, including Bristol, Liverpool and Essex, with legislation expected to follow in 2024. Users must have at least a provisional driving licence.

Germany, meanwhile, has regulated to allow ‘small electric vehicles’, which include electric scooters, to be used. 

They are limited to 12.5 mph (20 kph), must have handlebars and may be used on roads or cycle lanes, but not on the pavement. Users must have insurance and the vehicle must be registered, but a driving licence and helmet are not required.

Paris is currently considering banning e-scooter rental fleets after an increase in road deaths involving riders. In 2021, 24 people died in scooter-related accidents in France, including one in Paris.

However, operators such as Lime are proposing a series of improvements in the hope of getting their licences renewed in February.

E-bike and car sharing platform Evie said it would be ready to add e-scooters to its fleet, should the Government decide to change the law.

Founder Gavin Breeze said: “We have all the foundations in place to scale our fleet, including the proven technology, and we could add e-scooters if they were to become legal on public roads. 

“The advantage of using a platform like Evie is that we can control their speed and where they operate, so we think it would make sense to trial them in a controlled way.”

That view was shared by Digital Jersey Chief Executive Tony Moretta, who said: “I imagine Evie would be keen to operate e-scooters, and the real benefit of using them over letting everyone use them is you can track them through the technology. 

“If, for instance, someone was reported for driving one dangerously, the police could contact Evie, who could see which scooter had been there at that time and who was riding it.”

Commenting on an e-petition last year, which called for e-scooters to be made legal in Jersey, a Government spokesperson said: “New types of electric vehicles may be part of the solution, but only if they are safe for users, and are not a danger to other road users. 

“There are no internationally recognised safety standards for these vehicles yet, and a lot of legislative work will have to be done before they can be driven legally in Jersey.”