News 10 May 2020
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The government want the public to use e-scooters for their daily commutes after lockdown

10 May 2020
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The government is investing £2billion into green travel solutions, including e-scooters, as it emerges that there will be room for just one in 10 passengers on public transport.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who revealed the package at the Government’s daily press conference said that avoiding overcrowding on public transport is of utmost importance. 

He advised that the two-meter social distance rules mean that if public transport were to be returned at full capacity, they could only accommodate one in ten passengers on those services.

Mr Shapps said that after lockdown, the commute to work is likely to be very different, adding that it poses both an “enormous logistical challenge” as well as a “health opportunity”.

The MP has also mentioned it as a once in a generation change to the way people travel in Britain”, adding that doctors can also prescribe cycling to make us fitter.

The package will “put cycling and walking at the heart of our transport policy” and the government will launch a national cycling strategy in early June. The government has also committed to doubling cycle lanes and increasing walking by 2025.

Mr Shapps also announced plans to carry out electric scooter trials in an attempt to change the face of public transport in the UK.

E-scooters which can ride at a speed of up to 15.5 mph are banned on UK roads and pavements. A consultation into their legalisation was launched in March. He said, “Today I’m also fast-tracking trials of e-scoters. I’m bringing this programme, already underway, from next year to next month.”

Apps will also be introduced to offer urgent access to real-time transportation information such as which parts of the transport network are overcrowded.