Police confiscate e-scooter from man making deliveries in Telford
Police confiscated an e-scooter from a man who was using it to carry out deliveries in Telford.
Telford & Wrekin Police said officers had stopped a man in his 40s on Ketley Park Road, Telford, yesterday (September 3).
It came after reports of the vehicle being used in the Leegomery area, police said.
Telford's police have recently launched a crackdown on the illegal use of e-scooters and e-bikes, which are not legal for use on public roads, pavements or cycle lanes.
Police said the man had been using it to tow a trailer for delivery work, and added that he had been allowed to keep the trailer to continue his deliveries on foot.
Writing on social media, Telford & Wrekin Police said: "Officers today responded to reports made by the public about an e-scooter towing a trailer around the Leegomery area.
"PC Ryan Davies and PCSO Josh Peel went out to find the vehicle and were quickly on the trail where they located it on Ketley Park Road.
"It was quickly discovered that the rider of the e-scooter, a man aged in his 40s, was using the adapted vehicle to carry out parcel deliveries.
"He also did not have correct insurance. The e-scooter was seized and the rider was reported, however, he was allowed to keep the trailer so he could continue his deliveries by foot.
"While it is not illegal to buy an e-scooter, they are currently illegal to use on public roads, pavements, cycle lanes and pedestrian-only areas unless part of a legal e-scooter loan scheme.
"There are no legal schemes in place in the counties covered by West Mercia Police (Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire) so across the force e-scooters can only be ridden on private land with the permission of the landowner.
"E-scooters are currently classed as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) by the Government and fall under the same laws and regulations that apply to all motor vehicles in terms of requiring insurance, tax, MOT, licence and registration.
"There is no mechanism in place currently to obtain any of these for e-scooters so as this requirement can’t be met, their use in public areas is illegal, anyone found using them in public areas risks having the e-scooter seized by the police."
