An announcement is expected to be made on Tuesday 10 May 2022.
E-scooters are regularly seen on the streets of Leeds- but not all of them are currently legal.
The electric scooters have made headlines aplenty this year and now, the government could soon make privately-owned e-scooters legal on roads not just in our city, but throughout England, reports The Manc.
With the popularity of electric scooters continuing to rise across the country, and the latest data from Which? and Halfords indicating there has been a 184% increase in sales for e-mobility products year on year in November 2020, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has now told the Commons Transport Select Committee during a meeting this week that legislation to make e-scooters legal on roads will be included in the Queen’s Speech on 10 May.
“In the future, I want to crack down on the illegal use on roads of non-compliant e-scooters,” Mr Shapps told the committee.
The current law states that e-scooters can only be used on roads in England if they are part of a trial rental scheme – of which there currently is, and has been, a number of in Greater Manchester over the past couple of years – and they have to have safety features including automatic lights and maximum speeds of 15.5mph.
E-scooters are actually classed as motor vehicles, which means that the same rules that apply to motor vehicles, also apply to e-scooters – including being in possession of a full UK driving license, insurance, and the need to be taxed.
Privately-owned e-scooters can only legally be used on private land with the permission of the landowner, and they cannot be ridden on a UK public road, cycle lane, or pavement.
However, they are frequently seen in cities and towns across the country.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the Transport Select Committee he is looking at making e-scooters legal on roads in England / Credit: Number 10 (via Flickr)
This illegal usage is why the government and transport ministers are reportedly said to be considering ways to legalise them, with Mr Shapps telling the Transport Select Committee this week that: “We will take powers to properly regulate and then be able to decide the usage of them.
“They’re a reality, they exist. If these things exist they need to be made safe, and I think the trials have been useful in gathering data and there’s more data still to gather.”
The potential legislation to make private e-scooters road legal has been met with mixed reviews by members of the government’s Transport Select Committee, with some praising the move for the positive impact it could have on the environment, while others have raised concerns over the safety of the scooters and their growing involvement in collisions.
Committee member Ben Bradshaw said e-scooters are a “convenient, cheap and environmentally-friendly form of transport”, and asked Mr Shapps when the DfT will “get a move on and properly license these things?”
Mr Shapps answered: “I shall announce it on 10 May.”
E-scooters can currently only be used on roads in England if they are part of a trial rental scheme / Credit: JavyGo & Martin Katler (via Unsplash)
Another committee member, Conservative MP Simon Jupp, on the contrary however raised concerns over e-scooters’ safety, and pointed to the fact that they have lead to “900 collisions, 11 of which were fatal”.
AA president Edmund King also aid after the meeting: “The government is right to address this issue and bring in regulations, rather than allowing some of our cities to be over-run like the Wild West with illegal scooters [as] micro-mobility and e-technology can have a positive effect on movement in our cities.
“But we must ensure that movement is safe.”
Featured Image – Pixabay
UK News
People from Yorkshire wanted to take part in next series of BBC’s popular Gladiators reboot
The BBC is back casting for the next series of Gladiators, and producers are looking for people from Yorkshire to take part.
The gladiators are ready for a new series… but are the contenders?
That’s right – arguably the most exciting and energetic sports entertainment game show of all time is coming back for another series following its long-awaited reboot back in 2025, and that means that the BBC is looking for some brave new contestants to take part.
Yorkshire residents are among those producers are calling on to consider sticking an application in.
Unfamiliar with the premise of Gladiators? The massively-popular series – which is based on an American show of the same name – sees four contestants compete in a number of physical challenges against the ‘Gladiators’, all with the aim of securing as many points as possible for the final event, which is known as ‘The Eliminator’.
Image: BBC
Contestants battle against each other to win a place in the grand final, and ultimately be crowned the champion for the series.
Putting out a UK-wide casting call on the BBC website this week, producers Hungry Bear Media wrote: “Gladiators, one of the most exciting and energetic sports entertainment game shows ever is back for a fourth series.
“We are on the look out for the bravest members of the British public who have the speed and skill to take on our superhuman Gladiators.”
Reckon that’s you then?
With filming set to start soon, applications are now open for the new series of Gladiators, and all you need to do to be in with a chance of being selected as a contestant is being over 18 years old, and fill out an application form.
You can apply on the BBC website here, before applications close on 31 May 2026.
Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure becomes chairman of Sheffield FC
Danny Jones
Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure has officially been confirmed as the new chairman of the oldest football team in the world, Sheffield FC.
He might be a die-hard Wednesday fan, but given the turbulence his lifelong club have been through over the past couple of years, maybe this is the start of a new love affair.
Sheffield FC had teased that important news was coming soon earlier this month, simply writing on socials: "Not long until we can tell all. We’ve been sitting on something big."
As it turns out, the news is that one of the Steel City's most famous and beloved sons is now part of the club's new ownership structure. McClure quickly took to social media to help join in with the announcement as well.
The veteran indie frontman and Day Fever co-founder has continued to branch out from solely music-related ventures, having gone into business not only with multiple names for the smash hit afternoon-into-early evening music festival, but also joining forces with a fellow Sheffielder.
Since November of last year, Jon's has often appeared alongside his brother Chris, who plays the comedy character of 'Steve Bracknall' on the Game's Gone podcast.
A bit like Yorkshire's answer to Alan Partridge, there remains a sporting throughline in pretty much all of the 44-year-old's career at the moment - now so more than ever.
Speaking online, McClure said: "What am I doing at the world’s oldest football club, you ask? Well, meet the new chairman of Sheffield FC.
"Our vision is that we honour the club’s roots and pay homage to its incredible history, whilst restoring it to its former glory." He's already been making his presence known around their home ground.
— Sheffield Football Club (@sheffieldfc) March 3, 2026
While some are still looking for updates on the plans to bring the historic outfit back closer to Sheffield proper - the non-league club currently playing at The Home of Football Stadium in Dronfield, Derbyshire - this fresh start for the now oft-neglected native minnows has still sparked some excitement.
At present, 'The Ancients' are in the process of developing a new 5,000-seater arena at the old Sheffield Transport Sports Club site in Meadowhead, which was initially slated to open this year.
But as for the musician, he went on to add that "There’s a lot to be done, but we’re ready to get stuck in and give Sheffield FC the love it deserves"; McClure and co. have dubbed this "a new chapter" for "the first in the world", and the update will no doubt bring some fresh hope to the organisation.
What do you make of the announcement, and is a local figure like Reverend and the Makers' Jon McClure the right person to help take over this community cornerstone and national institution?
The Hoot -
29th April 2022 
