No Parental Prosecutions in Christmas E-Scooter Enforcement Drive

An inquiry under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act has disclosed that no parents faced prosecution during a police initiative aimed at discouraging the purchase of e-scooters for children over the Christmas period. Last year, Thames Valley Police (TVP) Chief Constable Jason Hogg had indicated that the force would pursue legal action against parents. The quantity of e-scooters confiscated during this enforcement effort was also, on average, lower than during the subsequent summer. Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matthew Barber commented that while the figures appeared modest, efforts to address the issue were continuing. TVP stated its serious commitment to the problem. The chief constable delivered his remarks at a Wokingham Borough Council meeting in November 2023, where he stated: “We are going to be moving to enforcement very, very quickly.” He further added: “We are going to be prosecuting the parents for no insurance – for use, cause, permit – in January and we will be seizing a lot of these scooters very, very shortly.” The FOI request revealed 18 e-scooter seizures in December 2023 and 23 in January 2024. In contrast, between 1 June and 8 September, officers impounded 118 e-scooters and e-bikes, which equates to more than 30 seizures per month. The force was unable to confirm whether any parents received cautions, advice, or other forms of sanctions, and could not provide the BBC with the start or end dates for the campaign. E-scooters are prohibited for use in public spaces, with the exception of those operated within council rental schemes. They are only permissible on private land as they are classified as motor vehicles and necessitate insurance, which is not currently accessible to individuals. The penalty is equivalent to that for driving without insurance: a £300 fine and six points on a driving licence, or potentially an unlimited fine and disqualification if the case proceeds to court. As part of last year’s enforcement push, PCC Barber had indicated that TVP would be “stepping up enforcement” against privately owned e-scooters. In February, he also urged major retailers to discontinue their sale. In a recent statement to the BBC, he confirmed that he had been in communication with the chief constable regarding the issue of illegal e-scooters. He remarked: “There is more work to do in terms of enforcement and tackling this issue continues to be an ongoing challenge nationally.” He conveyed that the problem could not be resolved through enforcement alone and that the laws governing their use needed to be strengthened. Thames Valley Police issued a statement saying: “Dangerous, illegal, and inappropriate use of e-scooters causes risk and concern in our communities, and as such, is an issue that Thames Valley Police takes very seriously.” It reported having “conducted dedicated operations” over the past 12 months and was also collaborating closely with schools to raise awareness. In total, it carried out 464 activities related to illegal e-scooter use, including “education, awareness raising, prevention, targeted activity and enforcement,” and confiscated a total of 186 e-scooters. It further stated: “This hard work will continue as we look to keep our communities safe.”