Nottinghamshire Police is reminding the public that it is against the law to ride privately owned electric scooters on public roads on the eve of the launch of a year-long trial of electric scooters in Nottingham tomorrow (Tuesday 27 October).
The trial, led by Nottingham City Council, gives the public the opportunity to rent electric scooters, known as e-scooters, for travel.
The aim of the scheme is to support key workers and people getting back to work in Nottingham.
More than 200 e-scooters will be available to hire in Nottingham, both for short-term and long-term hire.
The Department for Transport has made changes to enable the use of e-scooters on public roads, but this is only for schemes approved by the Department for Transport, like this one in Nottingham.
Privately owned e-scooters, however, remain illegal for use and cannot be ridden on a road, cycle lane or pavement.
They can only be ridden on private land with the permission of the landowner.
Chief Inspector Kathryn Craner, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “While it is great that we are having a trial here in the city of the e-scooters it is really important to remember that other forms of e-scooters still remain illegal to use on roads.
“We look forward to seeing its potential benefits, but we are aware of the possible policing issues this may cause.
“Our message to the public is simple: you must not use your own e-scooters unless in private areas.
“The ownership of e-scooters has risen considerably in recent months, and with Christmas on the horizon it is important to remember which ones can and cannot be used on public roads when buying them.
“We have already seized a number of e-scooters used incorrectly and will not hesitate to continue to do so.”
In order to use one of the rental e-scooters, the rider must be aged 16 or over and hold at least a provisional driving licence.
• Try an electric scooter in Nottingham as trials begin in the city
The scheme will test the new form of transport, offering a greener form of transport for the future.
The e-scooters are fitted with technology which means that they will not be able to be used outside of Nottingham City Council boundaries.
More information on the scheme can be found by visiting https://www.transportnottingham.com/projects/escooters/