A LOCAL bike shop has given its approval to plans to accommodate alternative electric scooters on the UK’s roads.

Clydebank cycle store Cycle Form’s encouragement to use alternative means of transport like e-scooters comes as a recent survey revealed two in three consumers would consider riding an e-scooter to work, but that the government’s proposed rider rules are not yet safe enough.

E-scooters have been in the public eye recently, with trials for the energy saving form of transport set to begin as part of radical measures to implement physical distancing in Glasgow city centre.

Sixty-four per cent of respondents to a survey commissioned by Venson Automative Solutions would consider an e-scooter if trials prove successful and schemes launch nationwide.

This puts e-scooters ahead of e-bikes and e-motorbikes, which sit at 41 per cent and 21 per cent of people considering riding them to work.

And approximately half of people aged over 55 who responded to the survey said they would buy an e-scooter.

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However, many have safety concerns, with 40 per cent saying that they believe the government’s proposed rider rules would be broken – such as scooting on the pavement.

Alison Bell, marketing director at Venson Automotive Solutions commented: “We look forward to seeing the results of the trials.”

Veronica O’Donoghue of bike shop Cycle Form told the Post: “E-scooters are great in essence, but there needs to be effective regulations in place so that they are safe for everyone. This is evidenced by other countries’ experiences.

“Once these are in place, I think that e-scooters can make a positive contribution to sorting out the urban mobility problem, and open up people’s options for alternatives to cars and public transport.

“We simply don’t know how popular e-scooters will be though I think they will take off eventually. We’re not advertising them until government regulations are in place.”