E Scooters

Electrical scooters (also known as e-scooters) come under the category of 'powered transporters'. This covers a range of personal transport devices that are powered by a motor. 

E-scooters are classed as motor vehicles under the Road Traffic Act 1988. This means the rules that apply to motor vehicles, also apply to e-scooters including the need to have a licence and insurance. 

It's not currently possible to get insurance for privately owned e-scooters. This means it’s illegal to use them on the road or in public spaces, such as parks, street pavements, and shopping centres. If you use a privately-owned e-scooter in public, you risk the vehicle being seized under S.165 Road Traffic Act 1988 for having no insurance.  

If you cause serious harm to another person whilst riding an e-scooter, the incident will be investigated in the same way it would if you were riding a motorcycle or driving a car.  

We try our best to use discretion on such matters, but to be clear, in locations where we receive reports of E-scooters being used in an anti social manner, riders should expect police to seize their e-scooters. Because it is impossible to get insurance, which is required to have the impounded scooter returned, all e-scooters are destroyed.