Minister Jesse Norman visits UCL PEARL
Minister Jesse Norman visits UCL PEARL Decarbonisation and technology minister Jesse Norman toured UCL's PEARL facility this week, as the laboratory hosted a roundtable with key stakeholder groups discussing e-scooters. Mr Norman, a UCL alumnus, was welcomed by Professor Nick Tyler, Director of the UCL Person-Environment-Activity Research Laboratory (UCL PEARL), a unique space in Dagenham, east London, created to explore the ways in which people interact with their environment. The minister was convening a roundtable discussion with stakeholders in transport, law enforcement and disability advocacy on issues surrounding e-scooters, to address their legal status, how they fit within existing road traffic laws, alongside safety concerns, particularly for blind and partially sighted people. The MP, who is Minister of State in the Department for Transport, responsible for decarbonisation and technology, then toured the innovative UCL facility guided by Professor Tyler to gain insight into UCL's science and research capabilities. Researchers demonstrated how testing facilities at PEARL enable them to conduct e-scooter experiments to examine the sounds that might be used for e-scooters to alert pedestrians. The project aims to discover the best way for e-scooters to effectively announce their presence to people with a range of capabilities without increasing street noise levels. Professor Nick Tyler (UCL Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering) said: "It was great that the Department for Transport decided to come to UCL PEARL to hold its consultation meeting with stakeholders about e-scooters.
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