Police officers carry out e-scooter operation in Northampton town centre

Police officers on the Northampton Neighbourhood Policing Team carried out an operation this week targeting nuisance e-scooter and bicycle riding in the town centre.

The operation took place in Abington Street on Wednesday, August 30, and involved officers stopping people riding Voi e-scooters inappropriately and seizing privately-owned vehicles 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 this week, officers seized two e-scooters, issued 11 tickets to those cycling on footpaths, and identified 14 offences in total.

PCSO Dot Wilson-Townsend from Northampton’s Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “We know from talking to local people that they want to see us tackling the anti-social behaviour caused by nuisance e-scooter and bicycle riding.

“That’s why we carried out this operation and why we will continue to carry out similar action in and around the town centre in the future.

“We of course advocate greener ways of travel but only in safe and sensible ways. So please remember – private e-scooters are currently illegally to ride in public and if you choose to ride a Voi e-scooter or a bicycle, do so with care and respect for your surroundings.”