E-scooter riders don’t realise they’re breaking law, say police
LICENCE, INSURANCE AND NUMBER PLATES NEEDED
DERBYSHIRE police are said to be making “slow” progress on catching illegal e-scooter riders, and say people need to learn the laws before buying one this Christmas.
At a South Derbyshire District Council meeting on Tuesday, November 23, the issue of E-scooters being ridden on Derbyshire roads and pavement was discussed, with a concerned resident asking what the rules were.
In response, PCSO Jaimie Gutberlet said: “In short, they are illegal. You need a licence and insurance to be able to ride an e-scooter on the road, and it will need a number plate too.
“If we do see them, we do try and educate the drivers. It is a new thing and people aren’t aware that you need them, a lot of the people we speak to are not aware that you need a driving licence to do it, so we try and educate them first.
“If we catch them again we will seize the vehicle and they will be reported for the offences.
“It is just the amount that are in the area, trying to catch them all is a bit of a slow process and we are educating more and more – and more Facebook posts are going on to help educate people.
“The more we do about it, I think the less we will see of them.”
Max Boyce, a district council environmental health officer, said: “The legislation is that you can only have them on private land and if you have the permission of the owner, so anything other than that and you are committing offences.” Cllr Sean Bambrick asked that more awareness should be raised about the rules.
The police said the force intended to reissue messages about the illegality of e-scooters in the lead-up to Christmas, when people will be looking to buy them as gifts.
PCSO Gutberlet said: “The confusion comes in the city centres where you get trial schemes and in the city centres you are allowed them because they are lower power.”
In late May, Derbyshire police put out a warning to E-scooter riders in Derby after seizing seven from people in the Normanton area of the city in a few days.
Derby is one of a number of cities to trial the hiring of e-scooters, with 50 being available to hire as part of a 12-month trial which started last November.
The scooters could only be rented by people aged 16 or over and who have at least a provisional driving licence.
These scooters are fitted with technology that means they won’t operate outside of certain boundaries, and the operator, Wind Mobility, is able to track the scooters to ensure proper use.
It can also create “low speed” or “no go” zones in the city’s main pedestrian areas.
Only e-scooters that are part of Department for Transport approved schemes are legal to be ridden in the city, not privately-owned E-scooters.
Riding with no insurance can result in a fine of up to £300 with six penalty points on your licence.
Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence carries a fine of up to £100 and three-to-six penalty points. Other offences include riding on the footpath, using a mobile phone, riding through red lights and drink driving.