A town’s e-scooter trial has been cancelled after councillors voted unanimously to end the ‘havoc’ they were causing in the community.
A scheme was launched in Basildon by Essex County Council in late 2020 but drew widespread criticism from local politicians and the public.
Town councillors have now decided to end it when the current trial period comes to an end in late spring.
Calls for a crackdown on the vehicles have been growing amid concerns at the number of accidents they cause and their use by criminals.
Earlier this month, a Mail investigation revealed e-scooter collisions had trebled in three years, while more than 20,000 offences involving them have been recorded in a similar period.
Basildon town councillor Aidan McGurran said he was ‘delighted’ after the vote, adding: ‘As of the end of May, we will no longer see them scattered across our pavements creating a safety issue, we will no longer see our older residents being terrorised by e-scooters and we will no longer see youngsters causing havoc.
‘We should count ourselves lucky that there hasn’t been a tragedy as a result of this.’
The leader of the Labour-run council, Gavin Callaghan, added: ‘We’ve all seen it from our residents – after the bins, it’s one of the things that comes up time and time again.
An e-scooter bike scheme has been scrapped after Essex County council unanimously voted against the ‘havoc’ the bikes caused in Basildon (pictured)
Earlier this month a Mail investigation found e-scooter collisions had trebled in three years (file image of an e-bike)
‘People can’t walk their kids out of the front door and there are definitely issues around criminality and behaviour going on with them.’
Among the few people to argue the benefits was Conservative councillor Andrew Baggott, who claimed members were conflating anecdotal evidence with data.
Figures for the number of accidents and crimes connected to e-scooters in Basildon were not available but a Freedom of Information request to Essex Police in August last year revealed there had been over 230 crashes involving scooters or electric bikes in the past five years.
Of the 234 accidents involving e-scooters in the five years to July 2024, everyone resulted in an injury and one causing death, Essex Police said.
In the first 12 months, to July 2020, there were just four incidents. By 2023-2024 this had risen to 39. From 2020 to 2024 the force seized a total of 742 scooters.
During a discussion on BBC Essex, Basildon resident Lee James rang in to say he had been hit by e-scooters several times.
‘I can’t believe these haven’t been banned sooner. [When I was hit] I didn’t hear it coming, it hit me from behind,’ he said.
But Che-Fort Martinez said he relied on them to get to work, adding: ‘I think they’re safe – it’s just a case of a few bad eggs who have ruined it for the rest of us.’
Tier, which runs the trial in Basildon and three other Essex towns and cities, said this equated to less than one incident per 10,000 trips. Since the scheme’s launch, Tier has re-branded to Dott.Â
Demands for tighter controls escalated after the Mail investigation which found 29 people had died between 2020 and 2023 in 4,515 collisions, which also caused 4,807 injuries, 1,402 of them serious.
There were 460 collisions leading to 484 people injured and one death in 2020, soaring to 1,411 collisions with 1,502 injuries and 12 deaths in 2022.
It prompted AA president Edmund King to demand new ‘legislation and better police enforcement’.
Recent victims include Have I Got News For You team caption Ian Hislop, 64, who suffered a head injury when he was hit by an e-scooter last month.
The leader of the Labour-run council, Gavin Callaghan (pictured with Sir Keir Starmer), said the e-bike issue kept rearing its head with definite ‘issues around criminality and behaviour going on with them’
Among the few people to argue the benefits was Conservative councillor Andrew Baggott (pictured), who claimed members were conflating anecdotal evidence with dataÂ
The Private Eye editor was left needing medical treatment and a head bandage following the incident, MailOnline previously revealed.Â
Commenting on the injury, a spokesperson for the magazine confirmed he was ‘hit by an electric bike whilst crossing the road yesterday afternoon [December 12]’.
Despite the collision, he was said to be ‘okay’ after receiving medical treatment for his injuries.
And Freedom of Information requests to all 43 police forces in England and Wales last year revealed 20,000 offences involving e-scooters in the previous three years, with a rise of 60 per cent over the period. Crimes included drug-trafficking, sexual offences and hundreds of robberies.
Just 21 forces responded, suggesting the actual figures are much higher.
Scooters legally available for hire in towns and cities around the country can be used by anyone aged 16 or over with a provisional driving licence, while speeds are limited to 15.5mph – although there are concerns about false identity documents being used.
Sales of privately-owned scooters have also soared, despite them being illegal to use on public roads and pavements. Many are also modified, making them capable of speeds of up to 70mph.
The Government is consulting on whether to all extend the use of e-scooters nationwide but safety campaigners, the Royal National Institute of Blind People and victims’ families want ministers to improve how they are regulated. Suggestions include speed limiters, training for riders and a crackdown on vehicles left scatters across pavements.
Rebecca Williams, 45, whose mother Linda Davis, 71, was killed in a collision with an e-scooter in 2022, has said: ‘Everyone on an e-scooter should do compulsory basic training like on a motorbike, should have insurance, pay tax and have a registration plate so they are traceable if they are involved in an accident.’
Have I Got News For You team caption Ian Hislop, 64, (pictured) suffered a head injury when he was hit by an e-scooter last month
The 14-year-old boy riding the vehicle was given a community sentence at Nottingham Youth Court following a prosecution for causing death while riding without a licence or insurance. He avoided a harsher penalty due to his age and lack of previous convictions.
An Essex County Council spokesman said the authority had recently conducted a survey on e-scooter trials.
He added: ‘The results of this will help us make a decision as to whether we wish to extend the trial and, as part of this, the districts which currently host the e-scooters have each been invited to inform us of whether or not they wish to continue.
‘Once we have an indication from these areas, we’ll then be able to proceed with deciding on next steps.’
Essex Police and Tier were approached for comment.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: ‘Participation in the e-scooter trials is voluntary and a matter for local authorities.
‘The Department is continuing to assess the benefits and wider impacts of e-scooters. A second national evaluation of the trials is due to commence soon and will collect up-to-date evidence on safety, usage, and mode shift.’
