Recurring concern

Unreliable regulation and enforcement of e-scooter use

First to latest report 14 Dec 2022 — 11 Jul 2023

Reports that mention this concern: 2
Times this concern has been raised: 2
Stated actions linked to this concern: 5

What this concern includes

Includes failures in regulatory, licensing, monitoring and enforcement arrangements governing privately owned or hire e-scooter use, including enforcement of unlawful public-road use and oversight of hire e-scooter providers.

What is not included

Excludes public information and safety-education failures about lawful e-scooter use when no regulatory or enforcement deficiency is identified.
Excludes payment, account-verification and age or identity checks for hire-e-scooter users unless they directly concern regulatory or enforcement control of unsafe e-scooter use.
Excludes vehicle design, maintenance, braking and rider-competence failures where regulation or enforcement is not the deficient control.
Excludes general road-safety, collision and emergency-response failures not specifically tied to e-scooter regulation or enforcement.

Trends

Reports over time

Reports mentioning this concern, over time

Reports about this concern issued each year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Most frequent recipients

Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.

Department for Transport2

Amazon UK Services Ltd.1

Collaborative Mobility UK1

EScooterClinic1

Evolve Skateboards UK Limited1

Greater London Authority1

Halfords Group PLC1

Harrods Limited1

Home Office1

Metropolitan Police Service1

OnBoards1

Selfridges Retail Limited1

Transport for London1

West Midlands Combined Authority1

Reports and published responses 2 reports

See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response

11 Jul2023
Birmingham and Solihull
Concerns raised1
1. Lack of a regulatory body for hire e-scooter providers
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses

Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK
Department for Transport
Stated actions 2
1. Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK
  Publicly advocate for Government to legalise e-scooters and establish a longer-term operating framework.
2. Department for Transport
  Continue considering options for future regulation of e-scooters.
AI-generated summary

MUSTAFA NADEEM · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

On 6 December 2022, 12-year-old Mustafa Nadeem was fatally injured after colliding with a pedestrian while riding a hire e-scooter to school and falling into the path of a bus. The principal concern was that children could easily use hire e-scooters illegally, and that existing precautions and education were ineffective in preventing this.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Lack of a regulatory body for hire e-scooter providers
Wider context from the report
“Hire e-scooters are only available as part of a national pilot scheme. The scheme is implemented locally. Guidance to the providers of hire e-scooters is currently limited to Department for Transport guidance. There is no regulatory body. ”
Source location
MUSTAFA NADEEM · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Publicly advocate for Government to legalise e-scooters and establish a longer-term operating framework.

Verbatim wording from the response
“We have publicly and multiply called for Government to legalise e-scooters in the UK, which would provide a more long-term basis on which they could be operated within or without shared schemes and for example be featured in the Highway Code.”

Source location
Response from CoMoUK
Page 1 · response
Published 18 July 2023
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Continue considering options for future regulation of e-scooters.

Verbatim wording from the response
“The trials are designed to assess the safety of e-scooters and their wider impacts, and while they are running, we will keep the guidance under review. The Government continues to consider options for future regulation of e-scooters. Any future regulatory change requires completing an impact assessment, equalities assessment and a public consultation. The latter will provide an opportunity for interested parties to shape the new regime before any regulations are introduced. In the meantime, current regulations for e-scooters still apply, and private e-scooters remain illegal to use on public roads.”

Source location
Response from Department for Transport
Page 3 · response
Published 18 July 2023
Open published response
14 Dec2022
East London
Concerns raised1
1. Reduced legal enforcement of unlawful e-scooter use
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses

Department for Transport
Mayor of London
Metropolitan Police Service
Transport for London
Stated actions 3
1. Mayor of London and Transport for London
  Continue working with the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police to engage private e-scooter users and support enforcement where necessary.
2. Metropolitan Police Service
  Update and reinforce policing policy requiring a graduated, proportionate response to illegal e-scooter use, including guidance on lawful locations and responsible riding.
3. Metropolitan Police Service
  Require full statutory release conditions, including valid insurance and driving licence, before releasing seized e-scooters and other covered vehicles.
Respondent positions 3
1. Mayor of London and Transport for London
  Enforcement concerning privately owned e-scooters is assigned to the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police using their enforcement powers.
  Redirects responsibility
1. Department for Transport
  Enforcement and seizure of privately owned e-scooters used illegally on public land is addressed by the Home Secretary.
  Redirects responsibility
2. Metropolitan Police Service
  The MPS does not accept a correlation between e-scooter enforcement levels and deaths, and says no supporting evidence was presented at the inquest.
  Disputes the concern
AI-generated summary

Fatima Abukar · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Fatima Abukar, a 14-year-old girl, died from catastrophic head injuries after the privately owned e-scooter she was riding entered the carriageway and struck a mini-bus. The concerns included e-scooter fatalities and enforcement, the absence of a requirement for riders of legally authorised scooters to wear head protection, and inconsistent or insufficiently prominent warnings about illegal e-scooter use.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Reduced legal enforcement of unlawful e-scooter use
Wider context from the report
“1. Evidence in this inquest confirmed that since 2019 here have been 8 recorded fatalities involving e-scooters in London and 31 in the country at large. At the time of her death Ms Abukar was riding a privately owned e-scooter on a public highway. Despite the ubiquity of such devices on London’s streets, riding them on public roads is unlawful. Whereas approximately 4000 unlawfully used scooters were seized by the Metropolitan Police Service in 2021, only 1100 were confiscated in 2022. The reduction is attributable to a change in policy introduced in November 2021. An inverse correlation exists between the rate of legal enforcement and the rate of deaths caused by e-scooters. The number of deaths in Q1 & 2 of 2022 is more than double that of Q1 & 2 of 2021. ”
Source location
Fatima Abukar · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Continue working with the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police to engage private e-scooter users and support enforcement where necessary.

Verbatim wording from the response
“TfL continues to work with the MPS, and City of London Police (‘CoLP’) to engage with users of privately-owned e-scooters and, where necessary, the MPS and CoLP will use their enforcement powers to help keep Londoners safe.”

Source location
Response from Transport for London
Page 3 · response
Published 19 December 2022
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Update and reinforce policing policy requiring a graduated, proportionate response to illegal e-scooter use, including guidance on lawful locations and responsible riding.

Verbatim wording from the response
“The MPS updated their policy titled “Seizure of vehicles for No Licence and Insurance Standard Operating Procedure” which covers the seizure and enforcement of offences connected with the use of illegal e-scooters, in September 2021. There was no specific update to the policy concerning the seizure of E-scooters at this time. An element of discretion has applied in relation to the seizure of e-scooters and other non-standard mechanically propelled vehicles for a number of years prior to this by way of the following paragraph:”

Source location
Response from Metropolitan Police
Page 2 · response
Published 19 December 2022
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Require full statutory release conditions, including valid insurance and driving licence, before releasing seized e-scooters and other covered vehicles.

Verbatim wording from the response
“6.9 Prior to July 2022 the Met exercised its discretion and waived some of the release conditions for production of a valid certificate of insurance and/or a valid driving licence when reclaiming non-standard mechanically propelled vehicle that had been seized under Sec 165A RTA 1988 at the Met car pounds. This was to afford the owner or registered keeper the ability to reclaim the vehicle. However, as of July 2022 the Met”

Source location
Response from Metropolitan Police
Page 2 · response
Published 19 December 2022
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Enforcement concerning privately owned e-scooters is assigned to the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police using their enforcement powers.

Verbatim wording from the response
“TfL continues to work with the MPS, and City of London Police (‘CoLP’) to engage with users of privately-owned e-scooters and, where necessary, the MPS and CoLP will use their enforcement powers to help keep Londoners safe.”

Source location
Response from Transport for London
Page 3 · response
Published 19 December 2022
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Enforcement and seizure of privately owned e-scooters used illegally on public land is addressed by the Home Secretary.

Verbatim wording from the response
“I am writing to address your concerns about the marketing practices of e-scooter retailers and riders of hired scooters not being required to wear helmets. My Rt Hon colleague, the Secretary of State for the Home Department will write to you with regards to your concerns about the enforcement and seizure of privately owned e-scooters being used illegally on public land.”

Source location
Response from Department for Transport
Page 1 · response
Published 19 December 2022
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
The MPS does not accept a correlation between e-scooter enforcement levels and deaths, and says no supporting evidence was presented at the inquest.

Verbatim wording from the response
“An inverse correlation exists between the rate of legal enforcement and the rate of deaths caused by e-scooters. The number of deaths in Q1 & 2 of 2022 is more than double that of Q1 & 2 of 2021.”

Source location
Response from Metropolitan Police
Page 3 · response
Published 19 December 2022
Open published response