One e-scooter seized by police in Peterborough as officers remind people of the law

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police said: “Over the weekend, our neighbourhood officers seized an e-scooter during their patrols of the city centre.

“Do you know the laws around these vehicles? Here is a reminder:

“They are classed as motor vehicles, which means to legally use one, you need the correct licence, insurance, and tax. Riding without this could result in being given a fixed penalty notice and points on your licence

“It is not currently possible to get insurance for privately owned e-scooters in the UK, meaning it is illegal to use them on a public road or in public spaces.

“If you own an e-scooter, you can only legally use it on private land with the permission of the landowner.

“We will continue to seize these vehicles as part of our ongoing work to tackle anti-social vehicle use.”

Now Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes has called for more action to tackle the ‘menace’ of e-bikes on city roads.

The rules on e-bikes are slightly different to that of e-scooters.

Cambridgeshire Police have published a page on what the law says about e-bikes

Police said:

You can ride an electric bike, or an 'electrically assisted pedal cycle' (EAPC), without a license or insurance if you're 14 or over.

An electric bike:

must have pedals that you can use to propel it

can have more than two wheels, for example a tricycle

must have an electric motor that can run continuously at a maximum power of no more than 250 watts

must have no electrical assistance once you reach 15.5 miles per hour (mph)

If your electric bike fails to meet any of these requirements it needs to be taxed and insured as either a motorcycle or a moped.

Electric bikes must only be used where ‘normal’ pedal cycles can be ridden – and must never be ridden on pavements.