One of the largest e-scooter firms has warned that the company could leave the UK unless the Government finally brings in clear laws to make the schemes permanent.
Christina Moe Gjerde, a senior executive at Voi, said the current situation cannot go on, with firms stuck in a long-running trial system instead of proper regulation.
Speaking to The i Paper, she said the UK must act now or risk losing investment and jobs. “My stance on this is that the UK needs to wake up,” she said. “The UK e-scooters trial has been running for too long.”
She warned that if ministers extend the trials again rather than introduce legislation, Voi could walk away from the UK altogether.
The company operates in nearly 20 towns and cities and makes up around two-thirds of all e-scooter journeys in the UK.
Ms Moe Gjerde is now pushing for new laws to be included in the next King’s Speech, asserting that businesses need certainty to plan ahead and invest. At the moment, rental e-scooters are only allowed under Government-backed trials, which have been repeatedly extended.
She said the lack of clear rules is holding the UK back compared to the rest of Europe. “In Europe, you have new hardware, you have new software, you have new technology, all the newest innovations are coming in,” she said. “Whereas the UK is the opposite.”
According to the e-scooter boss, the transport options used in the UK are now outdated because companies cannot justify spending money on upgrades without knowing if they will be allowed to operate long-term.
Voi has warned that unless new rules are brought in, the company may consider leaving the UK
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TFLNewer scooters in Europe can include built-in cameras that detect dangerous riding, such as going on pavements or running red lights, and automatically slow riders down.
Ms Moe Gjerde also claimed UK riders behave worse than those in other countries, partly because of the strict current system.
“Britons need a little bit more enforcement and healthy incentives and encouragement than other countries,” she said.
She argued that the UK system is “totally over-regulated” and “super restrictive”, which may actually make things worse.
E-scooters can only be used in trial areas across the UK | TFL
“It allows users to become lazy because we’re doing the job for you,” she said. “So Brits are obeying very strict rules, but they are having the responsibility taken away to know the traffic rules.”
The Voi executive also accused the Government of being slow to act and damaging the business environment. “We’re screaming out for a direction, we’re screaming for a strategy,” she said. “I am worried that the urgency from the Government side is not there.“
She added that the UK risks gaining a reputation as “anti-business” if delays continue. Ms Moe Gjerde warned that more companies could follow if nothing changes.
Zipcar confirmed the closure of its UK operations following a formal consultation with its employees | GETTY
“I would be as bold as to say you will see more and more e-scooter operators threatening to quit the UK over UK delays,” she said.
She pointed to the recent exit of car-sharing firm Zipcar from London as a sign of wider problems, after it said its business had become “commercially unviable”.
The Government has admitted that current laws need updating. A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said ministers are committed to regulating e-scooters “as soon as possible”.
However, they defended the trial system, saying it allows officials to study how scooters work in real-world conditions before making them permanent.
The trials began in 2023 and are currently due to run until May 2028. Ministers explained that they will introduce new laws when parliamentary time allows, but no clear timetable has been set.