Many people will have woken up Christmas morning to find that Santa had given them a brand new e-scooter. The electric scooters have seen a massive boom in popularity in recent years as a quick and effortless way to commute. They are now commonly seen zoom around the roads (and pavements) of towns all over Wales.
However it is actually illegal to use them in Wales anywhere other than on private land. A Welsh police force has now issued a warning to e-scooter owners telling them not use them in public places.
Advice issued by Dyfed Powys Police said: "It is currently illegal to use them on public roads, pavements or cycle paths in Wales. The only place to legally ride an e-scooter is on private land with the permission of the landowner – everywhere else it is against the law."
The force added that anyone considering using an e-scooter on public roads, pavements or cycle paths risk being issued with a £300 fine, six penalty points on their driving licence and having the e-scooter seized. Additionally, for any driver or motorcyclist that has passed their driving test in the last two years it could result in a driving disqualification and the need to re-take both the theory and practical driving test.
Trials of rental e-scooters are taking place in some parts of England, but they should only be used within the local area hosting the trial. Some people in Wales have already been issued with fixed penalty notices for using e-scooters in public. WalesOnline recently reported that e-scooters could be trialled for Cardiff "in the near future".
Chief inspector Chris Neve from the Dyfed Powys specialist operations department, said: “I would remind anyone considering purchasing an e-scooter, or anyone who has purchased one, that it is illegal to use a privately owned e-scooter on public roads, pavements or cycle paths. Their speed and silence can pose a significant danger to other road users and pedestrian safety, especially vulnerable pedestrians.”
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