2 weeks Ago By Ian Swanson
She said there had been problems with anti-social behaviour over the summer and she had experienced it herself, being “buzzed” by young people on e-bikes while walking her dog by the Water of Leith. She urged police to seize illegal e-bikes and e-scooters and urged a crackdown on shops selling them. Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.
Advertisement Advertisement Police said they were aware of local concerns and were carrying out pro-active enforcement across the city. Ms Webber raised the issue in the Scottish Parliament and Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown noted legislation on off-road vehicles was a UK responsibility but said the Scottish Government fully backed Police Scotland in dealing with illegal and irresponsible use. Ms Webber told the Evening News that e-bikes and e-scooters were a persistent problem in the Capital.
She said: “They're always scooting about at the Water of Leith and Lanark Road area - it's souped-up e-bikes and they're all dressed in the balaclavas and face-coverings, it's quite initmidating. I’ve been buzzed on the Water of Leith walkway where I walk the dog - they come up behind you, they're all jeering and stuff. “I spoke to somebody at the supermarket down at the West Edinburgh retail park and they said all through the summer there's been thefts and anti-social behaviour caused by young people coming on their e-bikes and e-scooters and buzzing around just causing trouble.
” Advertisement Advertisement And Ms Webber claimed people felt “powerless”. She said: “The behaviour is illegal but there's not enough police to do anything about it, or the police go and have a conversation - and I wonder why they’re not being more forceful because after all e-scooters are illegal, they shouldn’t be using them. “Why are we still selling them? Why are we not clamping down on the shops that are selling them? I know they're allowed to be used on private land, but that’s not what's happening.
“You can see, anecdotal or not, the link to drug dealing and how they can escape from the police quickly because the police can’t follow them in many of the places they’re going. I think we need to have a much firmer policy around the e-scooters in particular and if there’s an e-bike that has been souped-up we need to do something about that as well. “I want the police to be seizing more of these bikes and there need to be penalties for having them.
There needs to be a very clear signal to our young people you should not be on these scooters on public roads and even places like the Water of Leith walkway, the Roseburn Path and so on are not designed for e-scooters.” Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, officers were seen stopping e-bikes and e-scooters on Leith Walk. One Twitter user posted: It’s great to finally see the police doing something about e-bikes/e-scooters and fast food cyclists who go at a ridiculous speed up and down Leith Walk as it’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured by one of them.
” Superintendent Murray Tait, of Police Scotland , said the safety of all road users was a priority for the police. He continued: “We are aware of local concerns regarding the issue of non-compliant e-bikes and illegal e-scooters. “As well as targeting this issue as part of daily patrols, local officers work with detectives and road policing colleagues to carry out pro-active enforcement throughout the city to tackle these illegal and dangerous acts which put others at risk.
“In the past two weeks we have carried out targeted operations in the Leith Walk and Gorgie Road areas which resulted in illegal e-bikes and e-scooters being seized and a number of reports to the Procurator Fiscal. Advertisement Advertisement "Anyone purchasing an e-motorcycle, e-scooter or an e-bike should be aware of the law and the implications of using one in a public place “Unregistered e-motorcycles, e-scooters and non-compliant e-bikes can only be used on private land with the owner’s permission. They are subject to the same legal requirements as many other motor vehicles, meaning that they must be insured and drivers must have a valid driving licence.
“I would encourage anyone with information or concerns about potentially illegal e-bike or e-scooter activity to speak to local officers.”.
