Nearly 6,000 electric scooters have been seized across England and Wales for anti-social behaviour, sparking desperate calls for regulations.
According to new research, police forces have taken 5,800 e-scooters off streets in the past three years for failing to meet key safety rules.
The large number was attributed to riders failing to follow the rules surrounding e-scooters, which, unless operating in a trial area, must only be used on private land.
As more riders ignore the rules, Britons have launched a landmark petition, which has already surpassed over 15,000 signatures.
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing motoring@gbnews.uk
A petition calling for tougher e-scooter rules reached more than 15,000 signatures
| GETTYThe petition detailed: "We are calling on the Government to urgently legislate for: a ban on e-scooters for under-18s; mandatory e-scooter licencing, insurance, helmets and safety equipment; a ban on carrying passengers; and stricter punishments for those breaching or allowing breaches of laws related to e-scooters.
"We think there is insufficient regulation around the sale and use of e-scooters. We believe the law continues to be broken without sufficient punishment and more collisions."
It warned that current laws allow e-scooters to be sold to people of all ages, and could "risk leaving open the possibility that they may be used by children".
In November last year, Newport East MP Jessica Morden proposed the E-scooters (Review and Awareness) Bill to "promote public awareness of legislation relating to the use of e-scooters".
E-scooters can only be used in trial areas across the UK | TFLSpeaking in Parliament, Ms Morden said: "As we have all seen, the landscape on our roads has changed dramatically over recent years.
"The use of e-scooters has exploded - it was estimated last year that e-scooter ownership is now close to one million in England alone - but legislation has just not kept up with this trend. Our legislation is years behind that of other countries."
The Bill is scheduled to have its second reading take place on Friday, September 12, in the House of Commons.
According to figures provided by 25 English territorial police forces and all of Wales' four forces, there were 1,624 seizures of e-scooters between April 2022 and March 2023, with 1,635 taking place last year.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The reports detailed how there was a rise in seizures last year, with Derbyshire Constabulary removing 453, up from 53 in 2023, and Thames Valley Police taking 275.
Experts warned that an average of five e-scooters are seized per day, with urgent support needed to crack down on the growing numbers.
The e-scooters were primarily seized under the Road Traffic Act for not having insurance on UK roads, as well as operating on public streets.
The penalty issued for riding an uninsured e-scooter in public could be as high as £300, as well as six points added to a driving licence.
The police have been seizing illegal e-scooters and e-bikes | LINCOLNSHIRE POLICEThe Department for Transport responded to the petition, stating that a second national evaluation of the e-scooter trials is currently underway, "focusing on user and public safety, accessibility impacts and how e-scooters can be safely and effectively integrated into the wider transport network".
The spokesperson added: "The Government is giving the police stronger powers to stop vehicles being used disruptively, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing illegally owned private e-scooters. This will allow them to deal swiftly with dangerous e-scooters on pavements."
Under the New Respect Orders, it will give police and local councils the power to ban persistent offenders of e-scooter rules from certain areas, with failure to comply deemed to be a criminal offence.
E-scooters have also been consistently linked to harmful accidents, with figures showing that 416 people were seriously injured by collisions involving e-scooters in 2023.