Nearly 70 e-scooters stopped in Bedford with over 30 seized in police crackdown

A man was also arrested and charged with having no insurance and obstructing the police
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Police and the council have joined forces to educate people about the illegal use of e-scooters.

It's part of a vulnerable road user campaign this month with officers from the Bedford Community Policing team working alongside Bedford Borough Council to drive home the message that privately-owned e-scooters are illegal to use on public roads.

Between July and August, police stopped 66 e-scooters - with 33 of those seized.

Police seize an e-scooterPolice seize an e-scooter
Police seize an e-scooter

A man was also arrested and charged with having no insurance and obstructing the police.

Officers have also been working with primary and secondary schools in Bedford to educate children, as well as commuters around Bedford train station.

Privately owned e-scooters are currently illegal to use on public roads and if you’re found to be using one you could receive up to six points on your licence, a £300 fine and your scooter could be seized.

It is only legal to use a private e-scooter on private land with the permission of the land owner.

E-scooters fall within the legal definition of a ‘motor vehicle’, meaning the same laws that apply to motor vehicles apply to them.

These include:

Riding with insurance

Driving dangerously or under the influence (which can lead to the possibility of imprisonment)

Payment of vehicle tax, licensing, and registration

Driver testing and licensing

Number plates and signalling capabilities

As private e-scooters don’t have these and are not able to be insured, they are not allowed on the road, pavements or cycle lanes.

Inspector Ed Finn from the Bedford Community Policing team, who is leading the operation, said: “Any use of a privately-owned e-scooter on a road, pavement, park or other public place is unlawful and riders who continue to use them illegally will leave themselves liable to prosecution for offences under the Road Traffic Act."

Cllr Colleen Atkins, portfolio holder for regulatory services at Bedford Borough Council, said: “These e-scooters are not legal on public land or the highway, and they can be a real danger to pedestrians with people riding them on pavements and in local parks."