Here are my thoughts on riding an electric scooter in Chester.

Chester is a beautiful city; I love it. With its rich history, varied architecture and the most complete medieval walls in Britain, it’s a delight in many ways.

But unfortunately, its outlook often seems as dated as its buildings. Being well positioned with a population wealthier than the UK average, Chester should be a progressive city.

The trouble is, the city administrators have been hugely risk-averse, and the various bodies appear to compete with each other rather than cooperate.

The town is way behind in many areas. There’s no city centre WiFi, no 5G roll-out, no community loyalty scheme; I could go on (and often do). What they are keen on doing, is making life as difficult as possible for car users. You know, the people who actually need to get on with things.

Often, the town becomes gridlocked. Motorists can’t escape via another route, thanks to myriad roadworks, which often run concurrently.

In the meantime, they allow the big house-building companies a free rein, without making them improve the road systems as part of the deal. The result? Even more congestion.

Single lanes now confine motor vehicle traffic. Whilst they restrict motorists, they are adding bus lanes and largely empty cycle lanes all over the place.

Legalising privately owned electric scooters

But, maybe things are changing at last! It’s great to see the positivity surrounding the move to allowing more city centre alfresco dining, and particularly the trial of the Ginger E-scooter rental scheme.

However, surely a change in the law to allow owner riders onto public roads should follow?

These laws must be addressed before scooters are outlawed altogether. If they are legalised, proper controls and guidelines can be agreed upon and enforced. This will stop scooter numbers and random usage getting out of hand in our streets.

Currently, the UK Government has delayed legalising and issuing guidelines to owner E-scooter riders. As a result, the problem with them being used irresponsibly only increases, leading the public to turn against them by the actions of a few.

Why treat E-scooters differently to E-bikes? The environmental and economic benefits E-scooters bring could be lost due to a few irresponsible or confused individuals.

It’s not consistent that E-bikes are legal without driving licences and number plates, whilst E-scooters are not.

I’m doing my bit to ease congestion and emissions by scooting where I can. Obviously I’m sticking to low speeds and using the road rather than the pavement to avoid alarming anyone else.

Check out, How to Ride an Electric Scooter Safely, to see how I do this.

So far, I’ve had no incidents and no negative comments. People stop me to ask where they can get one, but the police show no interest!

Have you considered riding an electric scooter in Chester or wherever you live?

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