There are more than 750,000 private e-scooters in the UK, most of them being used illegally. Why have they become so popular – and so disliked?
There is a crime wave on our streets, being committed by insouciant teens, commuting executives and even pensioners. Gleefully they glide across our inner cities, scarcely breaking a sweat as they overtake cyclists on stiff climbs. They descend with ease, hair whipping in the wind, gravity and electric engine working together to deliver them to their destination at sometimes staggering speeds.
There are hundreds of thousands of these lawbreakers in the country today. They flout the law openly. You will have seen them in cycle lanes, main roads and even on the pavements. Perhaps you’ve almost been knocked over by one yourself. London, Hampshire, the West Midlands and Sussex appear to be particular hotspots. They’re the e-scooter riders of the UK, and they have already come to a street near you.
