The Mayor of Copeland has weighed into the argument about whether electric scooters can be declared as a safe mode of transport.

On Tuesday (31st), broadcaster Jeremy Vine tweeted: “Can we please get e-scooters legalised as fast as possible? My friend was stopped on one, on the road, commuting to work. He was fined, it was confiscated and he got SIX POINTS on his licence. If he now buys a diesel Range Rover, would you blame him?”

The post caused much debate on Twitter, with users arguing on the safety of the scooters and how they are used on the road.

The Government’s safety trials as part of their Future of Transport regulatory review have been ongoing since March. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Safety will always be our top priority and the trials currently taking place are allowing us to better understand the benefits of e-scooters and their impact on public space.”

One area in which the trials are taking place is Copeland. Discussing how successful the trial has been, Mayor of Copeland, Mike Starkie, said: “We have seen relative success with the trials in Copeland. The scooters have been well used, we have seen around 5,000 users during the period and 90% of people have said that they would use one again."

Mayor Starkie also believes that e-scooters can help clear air pollution in the area. He said: “People in the UK are definitely becoming more climate friendly, and we see that with the increase of electric cars being bought. We all have to try our best to eliminate climate emissions.”