Change to road laws needed to help police e-scooter use says Bedfordshire's chief constable

Bedfordshire’s chief constable has said the force has an “engaging” approach on the use of e-scooters – unless they are used for antisocial behaviour.

During the latest PCC and Chief Constable Accountability meeting (June 13), Festus Akinbusoye, the police and crime commissioner (PCC) asked about force’s response to the nuisance use of motorbikes, e-bikes and e-scooters

“I understand that there are different rules or legislation around all of this, which doesn’t help,” he said.

“I don’t want the public to believe that our streets are a free-for-all for the nuisance use of these vehicles and I just wonder if there are any plans to deal with this, even if it is to send a very, very, strong message that Bedfordshire is not going to be tolerating this kind of behaviour on our streets.

“I think residents will really be reassured by some words from you on what you’re planning to do about this or what your thoughts are about them,” he said.

The chief constable, Trevor Rodenhurst, said: “At the moment the law doesn’t cater for e-scooters, so they can only be used on private land lawfully rather than public [land], but we see loads of them about.

“And I think there is an issue there with the law needing updating in response to how people can use them legally, because yes, I would agree we’re having some challenges with them being used relating to issues of anti-social behaviour, and sometimes for crime.

“But there’s also what I would describe as individuals who are law-abiding individuals who’ve acquired one of these and who aren’t fully aware of the law,” he said.

The chief added that the force has an “engaging process” with the public over their use.

“I’m sure you wouldn’t want, commissioner, the first time a young person engages with the police is when they take away their electric scooter that they might have got for their birthday that week,” the chief said.

“We encourage them to use them lawfully and if we have to we enforce that means we will take those scooters away from people.

“But I do think actually there needs to be a change in the Road Traffic Act to encompass this,” he said.

He explained that electric motorbikes are subject to the laws that apply to ‘normal’ motorbikes, such as having a licence and insurance and wearing a crash helmet. He said that the one in the middle is electric bikes (e-bikes) which are a pedal bike with a battery.

“However anti-social behaviour is a control strategy priority for the force and if it manifests itself in a way that [any of these] are being used in a way that manifests itself in real significant anti-social behaviour then we will tackle that,” he said.

He added that the updated guidance for officers would not be a “blanket approach”, but if there is “blatant” breaking of the law then officers will deal with it.

“This is diverting loads of resources away from loads of other things,” he said.