More than a MILLION e-scooters are on UK roads… with the vast majority being ridden ILLEGALLY

• Over a million e-scooters are reported to be on Britain’s roads, many illegally
• They may only be used publicly in towns and cities where a pilot scheme is run 
• Government sources linked ten deaths and 47 head injuries to e-scooters in 2021

Over one million e-scooters are on Britain’s streets, as major stores continue to advertise them as the ideal vehicles for commuters – despite the fact that they are illegal to use on public roads.

High street retailers such as John Lewis, Fenwick, Amazon, Currys and Halfords have placed warnings in small print reiterating that e-scooters must not be used on public highways.  

Several chains have since updated their website listings after being confronted by journalists from The Sunday Times, the newspaper reports.

Under current legislation, the scooters can only be used on private property and 3,987 were confiscated by the Met Police last year. Those riding illegally face six penalty points on their driving licences. They are also subject to the same laws as drink drivers.

The vehicles have attracted concern amid a high number of alleged technical faults, with national headlines after fires last year.

London Fire Brigade has backed the move to ban e-scooters on the Tube after a machine erupted into flames on a packed train in Parsons Green last month

Voi E-scooters were being used in Bristol but long-term rentals were paused after a machine caught fire 

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety reports that there were three deaths linked to e-scooters in 2019 and 2020. In 2021, the figure increased to ten deaths with 47 head injuries and 133 serious injuries in all.

 E-scooters may only be ridden in public if they are part of a pilot scheme in a town or city, of which there have been 60 to date. 22,644 rental scooter were on the roads at the end of October with 31 active pilot schemes.

Former head of the charity commission Baroness Stowell warned the rise of e-scooters was happening ‘by stealth because of inertia in enforcing the current law’.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘There remains an ongoing challenge regarding the policing of the use of these devices because of their number and availability.

‘The safety risk of their use is less overall, in terms of harm, compared to other forms of transport.’ 

In December, a Voi e-scooter caught fire in Bristol as the city hosted a rental scheme, just days after the vehicles were banned from the London Tube. A machine caught fire at Parsons Green underground station in November, with one passenger suffering smoke inhalation.

It was revealed the London Fire Brigade attended more than 50 fires involving e-scooters and e-bikes last year – more than double the amount seen in 2020.

They are often caused by faulty third-party batteries bought cheap off the internet which don’t meet safety standards.

Investigators found the flames on the tube to be ‘particularly ferocious’ and while they tend to happen in homes, they pose a significant danger when stored in escape routes such as hallways and corridors.

In April, homeowner Shane Clarke was stunned to find over 100 e-scooters outside his house in Bristol – after it was made into an official parking spot without him knowing

And in April last year, a stunned homeowner in Bristol awoke to find over 100 e-scooters outside his house – after it was made an official parking spot without him knowing

Baffled Shane Clarke, 60, opened his front door to find an e-scooter pile-up outside his property in an upmarket suburb in the city.

The council later cleared the scooters, which were close to an open park.  

What are the laws on e-scooters? 

Renting an e-scooter is the only way to legally ride the vehicle on some public roads or in other public place at the moment.

But the controversial vehicles could be approved for use across the UK following a trial period. Currently, 10 London boroughs are taking part in the scheme with three providers to test how e-scooters work on the capital’s roads.

Riding e-scooters on the pavement however is banned, and riders must be 18 or over and have a full or provisional driving licence to rent one.

It is also illegal to use privately owned e-scooters or other powered transporters on public roads.

Relevant laws on e-scooter use include:

On public roads, anyone using a privately owned e-scooter or other powered transporter is likely to be committing at least one of a number of offences such as driving a motor vehicle with no insurance. You could be liable for a fixed penalty of £300 and six points on your driving licence

On pavements, it is generally an offence to drive a motor vehicle, and this applies at all times to e-scooters and powered transporters

E-scooters and powered transporters may be used on private land with permission from the landowner or occupier

E-scooters rented from the TfL scheme will be permitted to ride on London’s public roads and cycle infrastructure in participating boroughs.

These boroughs will designate no-go areas where e-scooters cannot be ridden and will come to a safe stop, as well as go-slow areas, where the speed of e-scooters will be reduced to 8mph

Source: TfL 

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