E-scooter trial to be scrapped over safety fears

An e-scooter trial is due to be abandoned in a town after councillors warned they had become a risk to public safety.

Labour councillor Aidan McGurran told a meeting of Basildon Council that riders were "causing carnage" by using them to deal drugs and ride recklessly.

The green transport method has been trialled in the Essex districts of Chelmsford, Colchester, Basildon and Braintree since December 2020.

However, councillors unanimously voted not to renew the trial scheme in Basildon when it expired in May.

In December, Essex County Council said local authorities could opt out of the trials.

Speaking to BBC Essex, McGurran said the scooters had been "causing absolute havoc".

"I'm sorry we're having to do this, but it's not just a few bad eggs - it's a lot more than that," he added.

Council cabinet members spoke about the scooters being discarded on pavements and the dangers of this for visually impaired people when they met on Thursday as first reported by the Echo.

McGurran was met with applause when he said: "I'm delighted to be able to announce tonight we will be telling Essex County Council where they can shove their e-scooters.

"We will no longer see them scattered across our pavements... We will no longer see our older residents being terrorised."

Independent councillor Kerry Smith added: "They've been a complete and utter menace... They have been a completely nutty idea."

Essex County Council previously praised the success of the scheme and said more than three million rides had been undertaken since December 2020.

It said rides had replaced nearly 600,000 car trips covering more than 720,000 miles (more than 1.1 million km), cutting emissions by about 110 tonnes of CO2.

Micromobility company TIER initially operated the scooters, but later rebranded to Dott.

Phoning in to BBC Essex on Monday, Lee James, from Basildon, said he wanted the trial to end after being struck by a scooter on multiple occasions.

"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.

However, Che Fort-Martinez, who lives in the Laindon part of Basildon, told the radio show he relied on the scooters to get to work every day.

"I think they're safe - it's just the case of a few bad eggs who have ruined it for the rest of us," said the 28-year-old.

During the council meeting, Conservative Andrew Baggott spoke in favour of the scooters.

He said people were getting confused between privately-owned e-scooters and the rental scheme.

Trial e-scooters must be used on the road and in cycle lanes, but not pavements.

Whereas privately-owned e-scooters are illegal to ride on all public roads and pathways - albeit with some exceptions.

An Essex County Council spokesperson said it was "aware" of the debate by Basildon councillors and was awaiting further correspondence from them.

They also said it had asked for opinions from all the districts taking part in the trial as to whether they wished to continue.

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