Police officers carry out e-scooter operation in Wellingborough

Police officers on the Wellingborough Neighbourhood Policing Team carried out an operation at the end of last month targeting nuisance e-scooter riding.

The operation took place on July 28 and involved officers stopping people riding Voi e-scooters inappropriately and seizing privately-owned e-scooters which cannot legally be ridden on public roads. 

The popularity of e-scooters has grown substantially in recent years with people able to hire them in towns and cities across the world.

In Northamptonshire, e-scooter company – Voi, run a scheme which allows users to pay for scooters by the minute via an app.

However, privately owned e-scooters are not currently allowed to be ridden on public roads, cycle lanes or pavements. They can only be ridden on private land. This is because they are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) and are subject to all the same legal requirements as other motor vehicles.

During the operation, officers seized six e-scooters and also identified 19 offences including having no insurance, no driving licence and riding on the pavement.

PC Jason Manton from Wellingborough’s Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “E-scooters are a greener way to travel and there are a lot of benefits to them but only if they are ridden safely and in accordance with the law.

“That’s why we carried out this operation as we know the public want to see us tackling the anti-social behaviour that nuisance e-scooter riding causes.

“We will continue carrying out these operations to reassure our local communities and to make the roads a safer place for drivers and e-scooter riders alike.”