Over the past year, a trial of Zwings e-scooters has been taking place in Gloucester and Cheltenham using an app based rental scheme, with over 350 e-scooters installed. They are available for hire at a variety of places and provide easy, affordable, safe travel around both locations. There is no doubt that if properly used they will be an environmental benefit in terms of zero emissions and air quality improvements.

It is mandatory that riders have a driving licence to use the e-scooters and they must be ridden on the road or cycle paths and not on the pavements. Zwings have put clear instructions on their scooters and in their rental app to show how they should be safely ridden. Zwings have also ensured that a number of marshals are available to ensure that the equipment is properly and safely used.

The scooters are geo-fenced so that their speed is controlled if they’re used in areas of high pedestrian density. The rental cost includes an element to pay for insurance. There have been some incidents but only one serious accident from 150,000 rides, and it was down to rider misuse, rather than any inherent danger of riding these scooters.

The only legal opportunity to ride e-scooters on the public highway

It is worth pointing out that this trial scheme is the only legal opportunity to ride e-scooters on the public highway. E-scooters are not permitted on the public highway unless they are part of this Zwings authorised scheme. Privately owned e-scooters may only be used on private land with the landowner’s permission.

Unfortunately, they have become readily available and retailers are not informing purchasers of the legal limits on their use. And because many users of private e-scooters are children, holding no driving licence or insurance, some residents are rightly concerned about their safety if they come across juvenile users who ride irresponsibly. I have recently heard of some youths who have caused criminal damage and made their getaway using e-scooters.

Police in Cheltenham have confiscated a number of these private use scooters when they were being used on public land, and I believe that Police in Gloucester are taking a similar approach.

Parents shouldn’t be tempted to buy these devices as presents for children at Christmas.