Re: e-Scooters

Our mobility scooter users are quite pleasant actually. They use the side of the road and are always careful. Its funny when you see them parked outside the bookies or the pubs though!

Re: e-Scooters

It is illegal to use e-scooters on public roads (and certainly not on pavements) unless rented through the current government backed trials operating in some areas.
If privately owned they can only be ridden on private land.
And riders must be over 16 years old.

Re: e-Scooters

Well, those may be the rules, but how many young people bother with rules?

Re: e-Scooters

And how many police are around to enforce them?

Re: e-Scooters

I think they only concentrate on 'offensive language' on Twitter these days. They're under-staffed, you know.

Re: e-Scooters

Oh of course, you're right. Best let them sit in their wee offices with the coffee and a laptop. No need to deal with street scum, oh no!

Re: e-Scooters

I'm confused.

Aren't these the things that you have to hold a full drivers licence for?

I couldn't just jump on one and zip off to Asda ..... I'm gonna wait for driverless cars to catch on instead and travel in comfort and style.

Re: e-Scooters

You can ride them with a Provisional licence,but presently only via the official rental schemes on public roads.

Re: e-Scooters

The governments original plan was that when larger trials of e-scooters begin (which is now), the rider has to have a drivers license and insurance. The e-scooters themselves are to have lights, an audible indicator (bit like the bells that used to be on bicycles) and are speed limited. The current law on e-scooters is that they are only allowed on private land but that has not stopped places such as Halfords from selling e-scooters to anybody that has money to purchase them. The government should have amended the sale of goods act to make it a legal requirement that retailers get proof from the purchaser that the e-scooter is only going to be used on private land.

As for the police, they will only get involved with e-scooters is there is an incident with them, otherwise they just ignore them. I know this for truth because I have seen police in my local highstreet and they have not stopped e-scooter riders as they zoom past the police officers. I have seen e-scooter riders on the road and a police car has passed them and done nothing.

The question about why are other countries e-scooter riders have a better attitude then the UK riders could be two fold. 1) the police in the other countries are more strict enforcing their laws and thus riders are more well behaved so as not to fall foul of the law and 2) police enforcing the laws in the UK are virtually non existent. The UK police are re-active when it comes to crime rather than pro-active and this affects the mindset of the population. If people knew the police would actively enforce the law on e-scooters, people would not purchase them because they know they would lose money once the police confiscate the e-scooter. The fact the police in many counties ignore the riders is why so many are breaking the law.

Re: e-Scooters

True, unless its one of the hire scooters I think.