RIDING an e-scooter around Westbury could land you a £300 fine as well as up to six points on your driving licence, local police have said.
The police have issued a reminder about the rules surrounding e-scooters following incidents around the town.
Inspector Kevin Harmsworth said, “Electrical scooters or e-scooters are classed as mechanically propelled vehicles, which means the rules that apply to vehicles using the road, also apply to e-scooters including the need to have insurance.
“It’s not currently possible to get insurance for privately owned e-scooters, which means it’s illegal to use them on the road or in public spaces. People who do use them could face a fine of up to £300 and up to six points on their licence.
“Some towns and cities have an e-scooter scheme which means there are a number of e-scooters which are licensed and legal to ride on the roads. There isn’t such a scheme in Westbury and there are undoubtedly some people using them.
“We recognise there are concerns from residents and we would urge people to report incidents on our website or by calling 101.”
The topic of e-scooters was brought up in a meeting of the town council earlier in the month where councillors quizzed the local policing team about the enforcement of e-scooter usage around the town.
At the meeting councillors raised concerns that they have seen an increase in the number of people riding e-scooters around Westbury during the summer and they had reports from residents who felt intimidated by e-scooter riders mounting pavements.
Speaking at the meeting, cllr Matthew Dean said, “It’s the big issue of the town at the moment. I’ve been approached by many residents who have concerns over them being used on pavements as it has resulted in many near misses, particularly between the town and the train station.”
