The Government is seeking views on changing the rules for using powered mobility devices, including powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters, on public roads and pavements.
A consultation was launched on 6 January by the DfT, who says modern technology has developed at pace since the legislation was last amended.
The consultation, which is open until 31 March, seeks views on:
- updating the words used in law to describe powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters and who can use them
- where these devices can be used – on roads, pavements or elsewhere
- changing the rules around size, speed and age for using larger devices
- whether people should be allowed to carry a passenger
- whether other types of devices should be allowed on public roads or pavements when used by disabled people or a person with reduced mobility
Simon Lightwood MP, minister for roads and buses, said: “Transport is more than just infrastructure. It is about the people and the journeys they make, which form the heart of our transport system.
“Everyone needs to be able to make the journeys that are important to them, and it is incumbent on us in government to break down the barriers disabled people face.
“For those who use a powered mobility device, a wheelchair or a mobility scooter to improve their mobility, the legislation governing their use dates back to 1970 and 1988 in England, Scotland and Wales, and technology has evolved rapidly in the last several decades.
“There is now a range of mobility options available to disabled people and people with reduced mobility and currently, through my engagement with disabled people, it is clear the legislation in its current form does not account for the modern mobility devices people need or want to use.”
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