Police vow to seize e-scooters and fine riders £300 amid boom in Christmas sales

Credit: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Britons may be slapped with £300 on-the-spot fines and have their electric scooters seized if they’re caught on public roads, police have warned, amid an expected influx on the vehicles on UK streets.

Retailers had been expecting a spike in sales of electric scooters for people to give as gifts this year, with several stores including them on their top gift guides for 2020.

Already since the start of lockdown, there has been heightened demand for the scooters, which can travel up to 70 miles per hour and are powered by electricity. Halfords for example, reported 184pc increase in sales over the six months to the end of October. 

This is despite current laws in the UK making it illegal for the e-scooters to be used on public roads, and only allowing them for use on private land with the landowner’s permission. Police have the powers to seize electric scooters being ridden on the roads, and not return them, as well as issue £300 fines to users and issue six points on their driving licences. 

Simon Ovens, chief superintendent from the Metropolitan Police, had warned gifting such vehicles could see a family member or a friend end up in hospital or even worse.

"Getting one of these and going on busy London roads is potentially fatal, you’re potentially going to kill yourself or seriously injure yourself or others. And it’s just not worth it. It’s frankly, crazy."

It follows figures from the Met police last month showing that there had been a 700pc increase in collisions in London in 2019, at 32 compared to just four a year earlier. However, numbers are thought to be higher with officers saying collisions are under-reported given the scooters are not legal. 

Mr Ovens said he expected police officers to take a tough stance on enforcing the laws following Christmas. "I would expect to see a lot more enforcement going on, and these are expensive items for the police to seize. They’re illegal so they can’t be returned unless there’s an undertaking not to use them on public roads."

He said the Met police had apprehended around 600 people for using the scooters. "My traffic officers will be across London through the festive period, and I’d be expecting them to engage with people, advise them that they’re committing offences, and if necessary seize the e-scooters and enforce the law."

His comments come after The Royal National Institute of Blind People warned over the dangers of the scooters for people who had issues with their sight.  "Any longer-term plans to legalise e-scooters should recognise the very real concerns people with sight loss have, particularly on pavement use," the group said.

Trials are set to take place in London over the spring to allow some scooter rental firms to see how viable the technology is around cities. 

Mr Ovens said the trial would mean the UK could have a "proper look at it in safe circumstances", but said that now "is not the time to buy one".

Last year saw the first recorded fatality of a person riding an e-scooter in London. A coroner concluded that Emily Hartridge, a TV presenter from Hampshire, had died after she lost control of the electric scooter as a result of an underinflated tyre.