Merseyside PCC backs campaign calling on Government to launch consultation on e-scooter and e-bike misuse
14.10.26 - Merseyside
Merseyside PCC Emily Spurrell is backing a campaign, calling on the Government to launch a national consultation on e-scooter and e-bike misuse by the end of 2026.
It comes as Epsom and Ewell MP, Helen Maguire hosted a parliamentary roundtable in Westminster on Monday 12 October, bringing together senior police officers, Police and Crime Commissioners, MPs, academics, medical experts, industry representatives, campaigners, and Department for Transport officials. The aim was to shape a future regulatory and enforcement framework for e-scooters and e-bikes, and to identify what can be done now to keep people safe while the law catches up.
Mrs Maguire was joined virtually by Carly Calland, who founded Jacob’s Journey after her son, Jacob, died aged 14, after a collision on a privately owned e-scooter.
The roundtable also marked the launch of Mrs Maguire’s national petition, which calls on the Government to launch a national consultation on the misuse of e-scooters and e-bikes by the end of 2026. The consultation would be the first necessary step in having properly legislation.
Attendees also heard from Stephen Hughes from Derbyshire Police, who described how criminal gangs are gifting young adults and teens with e-scooters and e-bikes in order to run drugs and conduct other criminal activities. In instances where the e-vehicles are seized by the police, these young people are then indebted to the gangs, putting them and others in further harm.
Charlotte Durand, a Consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, told the roundtable that data from Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield over six years shows around 500 children injured on e-scooters. Ten per cent of those injuries were serious head injuries, and fewer than 2% of children wore helmets.
Campaigners stressed that progress has been far too slow.
Mrs Maguire said: “We cannot afford to wait for legislation to catch up. People have died, including Carly’s son, Jacob, who was only 14. Children are being admitted to hospital with serious head injuries, and communities are living with dangerous, illegally modified vehicles on their pavements.
“Yesterday we heard from police chiefs, doctors and families dealing with the consequences every day, and they all agreed that we need a clear, modern legal framework with proper enforcement behind it. That’s why I am calling on the Government to launch a national consultation by the end of 2026, and I urge everyone who shares these concerns to sign my petition.”
Helen Maguire MP wants to see dangerous or criminal use tackled without penalising those who use e-scooters and e-bikes safely and legally.
Merseyside Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “As Police Commissioner, I regularly hear concerns from residents about the unsafe use of e-scooters and e-bikes in our communities. My priority is building a safer Merseyside, and that means ensuring everyone can use our roads and public spaces safely and responsibly.
“While the authorised rental e-scooter scheme provides a regulated and legal way for people to travel, privately owned e-scooters remain illegal to use on public roads, pavements and cycle lanes. We continue to see the risks posed when these vehicles are used unlawfully or irresponsibly, both to riders themselves and to other road users and pedestrians.
“E-scooters and e-bikes have the potential to play an important role in sustainable transport, but public safety must remain at the heart of any future approach. I look forward to joining colleagues from across policing and Parliament to explore how we can improve safety, strengthen public understanding of the law and ensure any future regulatory framework is clear, effective and protects the public.”
Members of the public can sign Helen Maguire’s petition here.