REDDITCH Police seized an e-scooter and an illegal e-bike during an operation on Tuesday (September 30).
Plain clothes officers were on patrol around Arrow Valley Lake, the town centre and Morton Stanley park targeting people misusing e-scooters and e-bikes. The seized scooter and bike will now be destroyed.
The Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) also engaged with local schools around the issue and the laws surrounding their use.
Police Sergeant Craig Osborne of Redditch SNT said: “We are actively trying to reduce the antisocial behaviour caused in the community by the illegal use of e-scooters and e-bikes so you can expect to be stopped by an officer if you are spotted riding one.
“An e-scooter and an illegal e-bike were seized during our operation on Tuesday which will now be destroyed, and we will continue to look out for those using them illegally.”
While it is not illegal to buy an e-scooter, they are currently illegal to use on public roads, pavements, cycle lanes and pedestrian-only areas unless part of a legal e-scooter loan scheme.
There are no legal schemes in place here so e-scooters can only be ridden on private land with the permission of the landowner.
For e-bikes, the law states that you can ride an electric bike if you’re 14 or over, so long as it is an ‘electrically assisted pedal cycle’ (EAPC).
Modifying an electric bike and not adhering to the law can render it illegal for road use and may subject it to motorcycle or moped regulation.
