A leading e-scooter retailer has said that the half a million privately owned e-scooters in the UK should have to be registered and display numberplates to curb anti-social behaviour.
Adam Norris, founder of Pure Electric, said such a move could curb their speeding and stop riders encroaching on pavements, issues which can cause major hazards to Disabled people.
He is calling on the Government to legalise them and introduce clear-cut rules.
Only 20,000 e-scooters are involved in around 50 official trials. Rental scooters can travel at up to 15.5mph, but private scooters are not subject to speed restrictions and can exceed 50mph. Nine people have died in accidents involving privately owned e-scooters this year and one London hospital has reported nearly 200 accidents.
DR UK’s Head of Policy Fazilet Hadi said: “We welcome moves from within the industry to make the use of e-scooters safer. Disabled people are feeling increasingly under threat from the encroachment of e-scooters on pavements and in shared social spaces.”