AN E-SCOOTER seized in Worcester will be crushed after it was used illegally.

It has led to West Mercia Police reminding the public that e-scooters are subject to the same rules as other motor vehicles other than in areas where they are part of a government trial.

Worcester is not one of the regions part of the pilot but nearby Redditch is, meaning different rules apply.

OUTSIDE PILOT AREAS

While e-scooters are legally available to purchase, it is currently against the law to ride a privately owned e-scooter in any public place in the UK.

This includes roads, pavements, parks, town centres or canal towpaths – the only place a privately owned e-scooter can be used is on private land.

E-scooters are classified as personal light electric vehicles (PLEVs) so they are treated as motor vehicles.

As such, if they are used on a road, pavement or public place they are subject to the same legal requirements as any motor vehicle which carry the same penalties for breaches of the law.

  • Use without insurance - 6 points, £300 fine, seizure of vehicle.
  • Use without a licence - penalty points, fine, seizure of vehicle.
  • Failing to comply with construction & use legislation - ranging from non-endorsable fixed penalty to being reported to court for using in a dangerous condition.
  • Impaired by alcohol/drugs - licence disqualification, fine or penalty points.

IN PILOT AREAS

Rented e-scooters should only be used within the local area hosting the trial and by one person at a time.

You may use a trial e-scooter on the road and in cycle lanes but not on motorways. You must not use an e-scooter on the pavement.

The maximum speed for an e-scooter is 15.5mph. Trial e-scooters are limited to this speed and in some areas e-scooters may be limited to a lower maximum speed.

They must not be used to tow anything and use of mobile phones are banned.

You should not ride an e-scooter while drunk or otherwise intoxicated and may be prosecuted under drink or drug driving laws as careless and dangerous driving offences also apply to users.

You must have the category Q entitlement on your driving licence to use an e-scooter and a full or provisional UK licence for categories AM, A or B includes entitlement for category Q but if you an overseas provisional licence, learner permit or equivalent, you cannot use e-scooters on public land.

If you have a provisional licence, you do not need to show L plates.

E-scooters must have motor insurance but this will be provided by your e-scooter rental operator.

Helmets are recommended but are not a legal requirement.

E-scooters do not need to be registered, display registration plates or pay vehicle excise duty.

Trials are taking place in Bournemouth and Poole, Buckinghamshire (Aylesbury and High Wycombe), Cambridge, Cheshire West and Chester (Chester), Copeland (Whitehaven), Derby, Essex (Basildon, Chelmsford, Colchester and Clacton), Gloucestershire (Cheltenham and Gloucester), Great Yarmouth, Kent (Canterbury), Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, North and West Northamptonshire (Northampton, Kettering, Corby and Wellingborough), North Devon (Barnstaple), North Lincolnshire (Scunthorpe), Norwich, Nottingham, Oxfordshire (Oxford), Redditch, Rochdale, Salford, Slough, Solent (Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton), Somerset West (Taunton), South Somerset (Yeovil, Chard and Crewkerne), Staffordshire (Stafford and Newcastle-Under-Lyme), Sunderland, Tees Valley (Hartlepool and Middlesbrough), West Midlands (Birmingham, Coventry and Sandwell), West of England Combined Authority (Bristol and Bath), York.