Baroness McIntosh of Pickering calls for phone ban to apply to bikes and e-scooters after near miss

The former North Yorkshire MP for the Vale of York, now Baroness McIntosh of Pickering, has told the House of Lords she wants to see a ban on using mobiles while on a bicycle or e-scooter.

There is no specific offence for a cyclist using a phone, but a minister pointed out cyclists can be prosecuted for careless or dangerous cycling.

That comes with fines of up to £2,500.

But Baroness McIntosh told of an incident in London where she was nearly knocked down by a cyclist who was using a phone.

She said she had been walking to the Houses of Parliament and as she was crossing the road, she suddenly became aware of a cyclist travelling towards her using a mobile phone, “one hand bicycling, one hand on the mobile phone, on the wrong side of the road” she added.

“I wasn’t clear whether he was going to stop or not.”

She said some cyclists and e-scooters and e-bikes riders were using mobile phones “inappropriately” and challenged the Department for Transport on why it had not addressed the issue.

Lady McIntosh urged the government to “create criminal offences relating to dangerous, careless and inconsiderate cycling for those users of pedal bikes, electronically assisted bikes and e-scooters”.

The use of e-scooters is already illegal on public roads and land. Only schemes like the Tier rental one in York are within the current law.

Transport minister, Baroness Vere of Norbiton, said existing laws already banned cyclists and e-scooter riders from using mobile phones.

“It is not a specific offence to cycle and use a mobile phone or headphones, but cyclists and e-bike riders can be prosecuted by the police for careless and dangerous cycling.”