E-Scooters and Portsmouth

What is an e-scooter?

Electric scooters are small, two wheeled scooters powered by electric motors. Some of which can reach up to 30mph. 

But are they legal?

You can get yourself an e-scooter, but they can only be used on private land, with permission of the landowner. 

You can’t ride one on a UK public road, cycle lane or pavement. Anyone who does is committing an offence. 

Electric scooters are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles by the government and so are treated as motor vehicles. That means there are certain legal requirements including having a licence, tax, insurance, etc. that need to be followed.

There are certain areas in the UK that are currently trialing e-scooter rental schemes, these are a lot like when you rent a bicycle in central London, but you need a UK driving licence to be able to participate in one of the rental schemes and drive an e-scooter. Unfortunately Portsmouth is not one of the trialing cities. 

What happens if I use my e-scooter?

If you’re riding on public property (i.e. on the street or cycle lane), you’ll get a warning from the police at first, but if you’re caught again your e-scooter could be confiscated and you could face a £300 fine plus 6 points on your licence (if you have one). 

So then how do I get around Portsmouth?

There are many different ways to get around the city, one of the biggest benefits of a city campus is being able to walk from one end to the other. But there are also lots of travel links from cycling to city buses. 

Check out the University’s guide on getting around campus safely.