E Scooters – In and around Frome Town

It is against the law to ride a privately-owned electric scooter (E-Scooter) on a public road or pavement.

You can buy an E-Scooter but you can’t ride it on a UK public road, cycle lane or pavement. The only place E-Scooters can be used is on private land with the landowner’s permission.

This is because E-Scooters are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEV’s) this means that they are treated as motor vehicles and subject to the same legal requirements such as:

MOT – Road Tax – Licensing – Insurance

In addition to this E-Scooters do not have number plates, signalling ability and do not always have visible rear lights, so they cannot legally be used on the roads.

If you are stopped by Police with an E-Scooter they will advise you of the current law on using a E-Scooter legally and have the power to seize it  alongside this you could face a fine and / or points on your driving license, as anyone riding an E-Scooter must adhere to the normal traffic laws when on the road. Once seized the E-Scooter will be destroyed.

Actions

• 17 April 2025
  

  The Frome town team has engaged with youths in Frome about owning E-Scooters and the road traffic laws.

  Reporting incidents to us, we can work together to prevent further incidents of shop theft. https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/report/

• 27 March 2025
  

  Owning your own e-scooter

  It’s not currently possible to get insurance for privately owned e-scooters. This means it’s illegal to use them on the road or in public spaces, such as parks, street pavements, and shopping centres.

  If you use a privately-owned e-scooter in public, you risk the vehicle being seized under S.165 Road Traffic Act 1988 for having no insurance.

  If you cause serious harm to another person whilst riding an e-scooter, the incident will be investigated in the same way it would if you were riding a motorcycle or driving a car.

  Where you can use your own e-scooter

  If you own an e-scooter, you can only use it in on private land, such as in a garden. But you must have the permission of the landowner to do so.

  Rental e-scooters

  You can rent e-scooters in some parts of the UK through e-scooter rental trials.

  Where a rental trial scheme is running, rental e-scooters can be used on public roads, some cycle lanes, and other public spaces. But you must follow the relevant road traffic laws. If you don’t, you could face prosecution.

  To use a rental e-scooter in an approved area you must:

  • hold the correct driving licence (find out about driving licence categories)
  • have insurance (the rental companies provide this when you hire from them)
  • meet the minimum age limit (this can vary depending on the rental company, so please check with them)

  When riding an e-scooter, you should always keep to the speed limit. We also always recommend wearing safety protection such as a helmet.

  Penalties and offences

  If you breach the rules when using an e-scooter you could face a fixed penalty notice.

  Forces set and enforce penalties differently, so the penalty will vary depending on where the offence is committed.

  Devon and Cornwall police will not issue fines, so other forms of penalty will be used if you use an e-scooter in a public place when not part of an approved trial.

  For other forces in the UK and Northern Ireland, the fixed penalty notice could include:

  • a £300 fine and six penalty points on your licence for having no insurance
  • a £100 fine and three to six penalty points for riding without the correct licence

  You could also be committing an offence if you’re caught:

  • riding on a pavement: fixed penalty notice and possible £50 fine
  • using a mobile phone or other handheld mobile device while riding: £200 and six penalty points
  • riding through red lights: fixed penalty notice, £100 fine and possible penalty points
  • drink driving: the same as if you were driving a car, you could face court imposed fines, a driving ban and possible imprisonment

  If you’re using an e-scooter in public in an antisocial manner, you can also risk the e-scooter being seized under section 59 of the Police Reform Act.

• 26 March 2025
  

  If you are stopped by Police with an E-Scooter they will advise you of the current law on using a E-Scooter legally and have the power to seize it  alongside this you could face a fine and / or points on your driving license, as anyone riding an E-Scooter must adhere to the normal traffic laws when on the road. Once seized the E-Scooter will be destroyed.