‘They’ll be confiscating sweets at the school gate next!’ Police force faces backlash after officers seize a mother’s e-scooter as she rode with her child to school on it
- Gloucestershire Police have been mocked for seizing an E-scooter
- The police force shared a video of officers following a young mother and child
- It is illegal to use privately owned E-scooters on the roads or pavements
A police force has been branded ‘pathetic’ after posting a video to social media showing officers seizing an E-scooter from a mother and 4-year-old child.
The incident, which happened in Stroud, Gloucestershire last week, shows special road officers stopping the pair on the illegal equipment.
Private electric scooters are illegal to use in many areas of the country including Gloucestershire.
In a short clip posted to Twitter, officers from Gloucestershire Constabulary’s Specialist Operations Unit can be seen tailing the pair who are rising slowly along the pavement.
The police shared a video documenting how the low speed chase had taken place
The force later confirmed the offending scooter had been seized, writing: ‘Concerns were raised regarding a female using an e scooter to transport a young child on a daily basis.
‘OT61 attended and observed 4 yr old being transported in this way and Vehicle seized.
‘Thanks to the public for making us aware. Safer community.’
The police force were chastised and mocked for the manner in which they handled the rule breaking
After sharing the video to social media the police were roundly mocked, with the common consensus being they had taken things too far.
Replying to the video, one man said: ‘You stole some joy from a four-year-old. Congratulations! Next week, confiscating sweets at the school gate.’
Another man described the actions of the officers as an ‘absolute embarrassment to policing.’
‘Please tell me you’re a parody account’, begged another.
Currently, electric scooters can only be rode legally in the county if they are hired in Gloucester and Cheltenham.
Can you legally use an e-scooter on the road or on the pavement?
According to the Department of Transport, e-scooters are classed as ‘powered transporters’ and meet the legal definition of a ‘motor vehicle’.
They must therefore meet a number of requirements in order to be used on the road, including having insurance and conforming to ‘technical standards.’
Privately owned e-scooters are considered illegal to use on roads in Britain. The Metropolitan Police has said riders risk being fined or even having penalty points added to their licence. Riders also risk having their e-scooters seized by police.
In May 2019, the Metropolitan Police ran an operation in London seizing e-scooters which were being illegally used on the city’s streets
The Met has warned e-scooter users from riding their machines on the road
The Department of Transport said e-scooters are covered by the 1988 Road Traffic Act, which also includes Segways, hoverboards, go-peds (combustion engine-powered kick scooters), powered unicycles, and u-wheels.
The ban does not apply to electrically-assisted pedal bicycles.
According to the Department of Transport: ‘For motor vehicles to use public roads lawfully, they must meet a number of different requirements. These include insurance; conformity with technical standards and standards of use; payment of vehicle tax, licensing, and registration; driver testing and licensing; and the use of relevant safety equipment.
‘If the user of a powered transporter could meet these requirements, it might in principle be lawful for them to use public roads. However, it is likely that they will find it very difficult to comply with all of these requirements, meaning that it would be a criminal offence to use them on the road.’
In July 2020 the UK Government introduced legislation trialling the use of e-scooters, through local authorities, for a period of 12 months via approved rental companies. The vehicles are capped at 15.5mph. Some 32 locations are involved in the trial. Privately owned e-scooters cannot be used in the trial areas.
Privately owned e-scooters can be used on private land with the landowner’s permission.
Source: Read Full Article
