GOVERNMENT plans to allow electric scooters to take to the road in Britain have been broadly welcomed - but concerns remain over safety guidelines.

As trials of rental e-scooter schemes get underway this month, a Venson Automotive Solutions survey shows two thirds of consumers welcome the acceleration of plans to accommodate alternative electric vehicles on the UK's roads.

Almost two thirds of respondents said they would consider using an e-scooter as an alternative to public transport if the trials prove successful and schemes launch nationwide.

This puts e-scooters ahead of e-bikes and e-motorbikes of which 41 per cent and 21 per cent would consider riding on their commute.

Of the 200 consumers who took part in the survey, the younger age groups are the most likely to give e-scooters a try: 85 per cent of 18-24s and approximately half of over 55s said they would consider trying an e-scooter.

Overall, respondents were positive about the impact of the trial, with the majority saying it was a great way to get people out of their cars, and to reduce carbon emissions.

However, in contrast many have safety concerns with 40 per cent of consumers believing the government's proposed rider rules would be broken, such as scooting on pavements which is currently banned.

Some 37 per cent are worried it could be hazardous for pedestrians and other road users if too many people ride e-scooters, with women being more concerned - 41 per cent of women compared with 27 per cent of men.

The Government proposals currently state that it is not a legal requirement for riders to have training or wear helmets. Just 11 per cent of the survey respondents agree this is the right approach - 58 per cent believe both training and helmets should be required, and 31 percent believe training is unnecessarry but helmets should be compulsory.

Younger potential riders would be most comfortable with just helmets - 62 per cent said that would be enough, and just 23 per cent believe training should be required.

Alison Bell, marketing director at Venson said: "We look forward to seeing the results of the trials to understand whether this mode of transport will join the mosaic of sustainable business mobility. With manufacturers such as SEAT, Daimler and Volkswagen having already invested in the technology, the ability to combine modes of transport for last mile commutes and perhaps even small parcel deliveries is interesting and exciting.

"However, as the survey respondents highlighted there are still some safety concerns which we hope to see resolved during the trials, so that e-scooters can become a safe and environmentally friendly option."