AS POLICE warn e-scooter owners in Basingstoke about their illegal use, residents have shared their frustrations about them being used on roads and pavements.
As previously reported, Basingstoke police warned e-scooter owners about the laws around their use, following 'lots of reports' of them being used illegally in the town.
The Road Traffic Act 1988 states e-scooters are illegal to use on roads, pavements, cycleways and in public places.
READ MORE: Warning to e-scooter owners in Basingstoke from police after reports of illegal use
Frank Winter is retired and lives in Basingstoke. He said: “I do not like them at all. They should be insured like cars. They go too quickly, and you do not see them. They’re dangerous. The people who use them don’t seem to drive them safely.”
The illegal use of e-scooters is treated as a road traffic offence and can lead to fines of up to £300 if they are driven without insurance as well as six points on driving licences.
Alex Poole, 21, from Chineham works at Tesco and said: “I do not own one, but I’ve seen them around a lot. They are basically like e-bikes. If bikes are used on roads, e-scooters should be as well.
“I have a few friends who have e-scooters. You see them zipping past sometimes, but they just go around you."
Kira Luxford, 34, bought an e-scooter, but said she does not use it anymore.
She said: “They don’t tell you that you need insurance when you purchase them. It was only after I had purchased it, about three months later, when they started saying you need insurance.
“So many people have wasted so much money on these e-scooters. They are not cheap. They are about £600, and you are not even allowed to ride them.”
Kira said that for people who do not drive in this area, e-scooters are useful for getting about.
However, e-scooter riders could face a hefty fine if they are caught using them illegally, with the police warning that they could be seized and crushed.
Natalie Bogan, from Romsey, said: “They cause a lot of accidents. People riding e-scooters try to stay on the road, but they are not as fast as cars.
“People don’t always wear helmets and then they’re going really fast on the road. It’s not safe.”
Other residents also believe e-scooters are still unsafe for both pedestrians and motorists.
Simon Wilkins, 55, (pictured above) said: “I do not think e-scooters should be allowed. I think they are terrible and an easy way for an accident to happen. A lot of people get knocked down by them when they do not hear or see them.
“There is no regulation or there is, but no one pays any attention to it. Here it is not too bad, there is maybe a couple of them on the pavement. If you go anywhere near London, they are always on the road.”
Share