Justin Madders has confirmed that the government intends to consult before the Christmas recess on the rules needed for a licensing regime for dockless shared-cycle schemes.
The planned consultation will cover regulations and guidance required to implement the system. It will give councils, operators, users and other interested parties an opportunity to respond before the details are finalised.
Dockless shared cycles can be hired without being collected from or returned to a fixed docking station. Their expansion has brought new travel options while also prompting concerns about parking, obstruction and consistent enforcement.
Madders' answer establishes a timetable for consultation rather than a start date for licensing. No final regulatory model has yet been announced.
The commitment was made in response to a parliamentary question about a national scheme for micromobility. The minister's reply was specifically limited to dockless shared-cycle operations.
Madders is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Roads, with responsibility for roads and motoring policy, including micromobility.
