Retailers could face prosecution for selling electric scooters without disclaimers

Selling electric scooters without clear warnings is breaking the law, according to minister

Although riding personal electric scooters (e-scooters) on public roads is legal (to varying degrees) in other European countries, in the UK it is illegal to ride them anywhere other than on private land and with the landowners permission.

Only e-scooters rented from licenced operators are allowed to be used on public roads and cycle lanes in the UK – rental schemes are currently running in about 50 towns and cities up and down the country.

A warning has been made to retailers selling e-scooters that they could face prosecution if they don’t make these legal considerations clear to customers at the point of sale.

Redditch MP and former transport minister Rachel Maclean has said that shops and websites “are breaking the law and misinforming consumers if they are not making it clear at the point of sale.”

She went on to say that local trading standards should start taking action against retailers who continue to sell the devices without any disclaimers. According to The Times, the comments were made after a rise in the number of people riding these vehicles on UK roads, fuelled in part by the drop in other road traffic during the pandemic, leading some to be concerned.

Research by the newspaper shows that some major retailers do provide legal disclaimers at the point of sale, however many others continue to sell e-scooters freely with no such warning – some even encourage their illegal use on roads. Over 2,000 e-scooters have been seized from customers riding them illegally by The Metropolitan Police since the start of this year.

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