West Midlands Police and the City of Wolverhampton Council are highlighting the rules around the correct usage of e-scooters amid reports of an increasing number of the electric vehicles in the city.
E-scooters can only be used in public in areas which are currently hosting a Government trial – these include parts of the West Midlands but, importantly, not Wolverhampton.
Anyone found riding an e-scooter in Wolverhampton could see their vehicle seized and crushed by the authorities, with police planning a series of days of action in the city to highlight the issue and to educate riders about the rules.
Chief Inspector Rebecca Barnsley of Wolverhampton Police said: "E-scooters are being trailed in some parts of the country to see if they offer an alternative and more environmentally friendly way to travel.
"However, e-scooters can be very dangerous if people use them illegally and dangerously. We want people to feel safe in Wolverhampton and we won't hesitate to take action against those who ignore the rules."
Councillor Steve Evans, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for City Environment and Climate Change, added: "There is clearly a great deal of confusion around e-scooters, with the vehicles permitted on roads and cycle lanes in places which are part of the Government trial.
"What is clear, however, is that Wolverhampton is not one of these trial areas and therefore e-scooters are illegal on roads and cycle lanes in our city.
"Anyone in Wolverhampton who has an e-scooter must only ride it on private land with the owner’s permission – not on public land. Please don't put yourself and others at risk, or you could find your vehicle ends up being crushed.
“I would also urge people who are planning on buying an e-scooter this Christmas to think again, because they won’t be able to use them on our city’s roads at the current time.”
For more information about the e-scooter trial, which is operating in Birmingham, Coventry and Sandwell in the West Midlands and in a number of other parts of the country, please visit GOV.UK.
