Following feedback from you, the community and recent incidents, we wish to highlight to you the laws around E-Scooters.
E-Scooters are illegal. There is no two ways about this fact, they are illegal. They are not approved by the Department of Transport as approved to be used on public roads. This also includes public places such as Parks as well.
The only place E-Scooters can be used is on private land, such as your own home or a large amount of land such as a field providing you have the land owners written consent.
Because E-Scooters have been classified as Motor Vehicles, they are subject to the same requirements as any other vehicle, such as Tax & MOT. However, the main offences that you can be processed for is Riding with no insurance and Riding with no driving licence.
To ride an E-Scooter, you must have the “Q” Category on a driving licence, which can be obtained with either a Provisional Licence or Substantial Licence. If you are caught riding an E-Scooter and you do not have a Provisional or Substantive Driving licence, you will get fined £300 & 6 points
The other requirement like any road vehicle is insurance. However vehicle insurance cannot be obtained for E-Scooters because they are not approved by the Department of Transport. As such, this will result in a £300 fine & 6 points.
So if you are caught riding an E-Scooter with no licence and no insurance, then you'll be looking at a fine of £600 and 12 points on a driving licence. So if you do not have a driving licence and looking to undertake driving tests, being caught riding an E-Scooter will severely impact this as you will be shown as Disqualified before you have passed your test!
You may also be processed for other offences as well depending on the circumstances. Some examples include:
Driving on the pavement - £50
Driving through a Red traffic light - £100 & 3 points
Failing to stop for a Police Constable - £50
(This list inexhaustible and is subject to the circumstances.)
There are exceptions to this in certain cities, such as London, where the company Lime Micromobility & Voi have been approved by Transport for London for E-Scooters to be hired and used on public roads. However the following boroughs have been approved for this:
Camden
City of London
Ealing
Hammersmith & Fulham
Kensington and Chelsea
Lambeth
Richmond upon Thames
Southwark
Tower Hamlets
Wandsworth
Westminster
So, if you are caught riding a Lime or Voi E-Scooter within Bromley, you may be processed accordingly.
Your local SNT has made E-Scooters a priority and will be cracking down on those caught riding E-Scooters. Your officers will stop and engage with those riding E-Scooters. In the first instance we will provide the below leaflet and a record will be made on police systems to state that you have been stopped and warned about continued use of the E-Scooter and if caught again, the E-Scooter will be seized by police and you will be processed accordingly.
Below are links for further reading to the Metropolitan Police website and to TFL regarding E-Scooters.
