E-scooter rider charged with drink-driving during police crackdown in Northampton town centre

Police charged an e-scooter rider with drink-driving after another crackdown in Northampton town centre.

Officers were out in force on Saturday evening in response to continuing complaints about mis-use of the rented electric vehicles.

And PC Dave Lee, of the Safer Roads Team confirmed: "One eScooter rider was stopped by our officers and they could smell alcohol.

"The rider was breath-tested and blew 54 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath at the roadside. Later, in custody and during the evidential procedure he blew 57 — which is well over the legal 35 limit."

PC Lee added his officers had stopped "quite a few" e-scooters being ridden illegally but added: "It’s quite positive to see some riding them properly."

Northampton's 12-month e-scooter trial was launched in September billed as a clean and cheap alternative to using cars or public transport around the town.

Critics have complained about the scooters being misused with under-age riders using them in pedestrianised areas and then dumping the machines on footpaths where they can cause a hazard to the blind and partially-sighted.

Renters hire the scooters using a smartphone app and need a full or provisional car, motorcycle or moped licence to take part in the trials, and must be 18 or over.

They are classed as Personal Light Electric Vehicles and so covered by the same laws and regulations that apply to all motor vehicles.

In the first few days of the trial, an 18-year-old girl appeared in court charged with driving without a valid licence, failing to stop after an accident, driving without due care and attention, and driving without third party insurance.

Jason Smithers, the county councilor in charge of the scheme in partnership with Swedish company Voi, said recently: "We want to get the message out there that these are not toys.

"These are classed as road vehicles so the same rules apply. If you are a parent and you're letting your children out on one of these scooters you risk being prosecuted and having points put on your licence.

"It's an educational process to get people to understand they are for the road, they're not for footpath.

"People shouldn't be leaving scooters on footpaths, they should be going to parking zones. We have scooter docks on the way to us so people can put them into docks rather than leave them on footpaths.

"If it doesn't work and problems continue then we will have no issue pulling the scheme. But we want to give it a good try and explore every avenue to ensure that we can get this to work."

Northamptonshire Association for the Blind want the scheme halted now after raising the issue of discarded scooters

Representatives from Northamptonshire Blind Association met with future transport minister Rachel Maclean last week to spell out their concerns over the 12-month trial in the town.

Sarah Gayton, shared space coordinator for the National Federation for the Blind UK, has posted a series of videos from around the town illustrating the hazards posed by discarded scooters.

She said: "The situation is still the same — these electric scooters are still a danger to the blind and partially sighted and we think they should be taken off the roads now."