Derbyshire police seize 99 dangerous e-scooters being ridden illegally in first month of crackdown
Almost 100 dangerous e-scooters have been seized across Derbyshire in the first month of a police crackdown to help people feel safer.
Derbyshire police launched a tougher “seize first” approach from the beginning of November following complaints from the public about e-scooters and how dangerous they are on the roads.
It is not currently possible to get insurance for privately owned e-scooters, which means it is illegal to use them on the road or in public spaces. Anyone using a private e-scooter illegally risks having the vehicle seized by police.
The force says it has seized 99 of the scooters in a month with many taken away from riders in Derby city centre where the vehicles are said to be a huge problem.
The issue of e-scooters has been such a concern that it has been spoken of at length at Derby City Council meetings over the past year. One councillor even called for them to be banned in the city centre and wanted the council to step in.
Earlier this year Conservative councillor Jamie Mulhall said the problem of dangerous e-scooter riders was rife around St Peter’s Street and East Street. He said: “All you need to do is go out and stand outside McDonald’s to see the scale of the problem.”
At the time Derby City Council said it was taking an “educational approach” with riders. But now tougher action has come from the police in recent weeks.
Almost 40 e-scooters were seized in Derby city centre on Friday (November 29) in a day-long operation which saw Derbyshire police teams work closely with CCTV operators from Derby City Council and the Derbion shopping centre to intercept illegal riders.
Police also seized an e-bike which had been rigged with a motor that could propel it to speeds of 50mph and, incredibly, had no brakes.
Last week it was reported police seized 14 e-scooters in and around Chaddesden in another operation exercise. Police are warning people to “think twice” if they are considering the vehicles as Christmas presents.
Derbyshire police’s “seize first” position with e-scooters means officers now have no requirements to issue an initial warning at the first offence.
Sergeant Jamie Millard said: “We know e-bikes and e-scooters are a real concern for local people, who report having to jump out of the way of riders going along pavements at high speed.
“E-scooters can only be used on private land, and e-bikes have to meet certain requirements. Some of the vehicles we seized were a danger to both the rider and those around them, as they were rigged to go at high speeds which also carries a fire risk too.
“These results make it clear that we are taking action against the illegal use of e-bikes and e-scooters. We hope this action reassures the community of Derby and helps educate potential buyers about the law and risks in the run-up to Christmas.”
Action has come after newly-elected Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts (Labour) said she had been working with Derbyshire police chiefs to make e-scooter enforcement “more robust”.
Derbyshire police are stepping up the enforcement even further. It has now been announced that the force’s Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) will also be granted additional powers to seize illegal e-scooters to help tackle the issue across the county.