Police seize 65 e-bikes and e-scooters during weekend crackdown

Some 65 e-bikes and e-scooters have been seized by police in Belfast during a crackdown over the weekend.A six-year-old was among the children and adults the vehicles were seized from, who are set to face what police described as “a range of criminal justice outcomes”.Uniformed officers, as well as plain clothed colleagues and an air support unit were involved in the “weekend of action” tackling the illegal use of e-bikes and e-scooters from Friday to Sunday across Belfast.Three petrol motorbikes were also seized as part of the operation.Inspector Matt Adams hailed an “extremely successful operation with the concerns of the local community at the forefront”.“Police made seven arrests for a range of offences including possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply, dangerous driving, aggravated taking and driving away and other offences,” he said.“Around £3,600 was seized and a significant quantity of drugs including suspected heroin, cocaine and cannabis were recovered.”“Over 60 nuisance vehicles are now off the road – and, as these uninsured vehicles are not road legal, they will be disposed of by police within 14 days of seizure unless the owner requests a review by the magistrates court, at the owner’s expense.”Insp Adams said the inappropriate use of e-bikes and e-scooters is a risk to both the riders and the public.“Under current legislation, e-scooters and e-bikes are deemed to be motor vehicles, meaning the rider must have a driving licence and the vehicle must be taxed, insured and fitted with lights and a number plate,” he said.“From a safety point of view, their inappropriate use in public spaces poses a risk to the safety of both rider and the public. People have already been seriously hurt as a result of their use.“The number of vehicles seized demonstrates the scale of this problem.“As we do all we can to detect offenders, we’d ask that our local community continues to report the illegal and dangerous driving of these vehicles so we can help to make our roads safer for everyone.Read More“We cannot it alone, it will require a co-ordinated approach by sellers, parents and guardians, users/owners, police and partners to reduce the number of e-scooters and e-bikes on our roads and encourage their responsible and legal use.“Call us on 101 or report online at https://reporting.psni.police.uk/appeals. You can also contact the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.“Information on the law around e-scooters can be found at https://www.psni.police.uk/safety-and-support/roads-and-driving/e-scooter-scrambler-and-quad-safety.”