How the public uses rental e-scooters in Norwich will change drastically next week - here's all you need to know.
As one of the government's trial e-scooter areas, motorised vehicles are legal to rent and ride around the city with operators such as Beryl which also rents bikes and electric bikes.
The use of e-scooters on public roads outside trial areas remains illegal, however, with privately owned scooters under threat of seizure if ridden on public highways.
From December 5, people wanting to hire an e-scooter in Norwich will be legally required to provide their name, driving licence number and a photograph of the front of their driving licence to hire operators.
While a valid full or provisional driving licence is already a mandatory requirement for hiring e-scooters, the requirement for details to be obtained, verified and stored by operators is being introduced as a new measure in pending legislation.
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The new law follows concerns about e-scooter safety after 1,402 collisions were reported in the UK in 2022 alone.
An estimated 356 users were seriously injured, 782 were slightly injured and 12 people were killed, with the most commonly injured e-scooter users being men and boys aged between 10 and 19, highlighting a need for "more robust" restrictions among public and private users.
Police may also now be more easily able to identify and take action against those engaging in illegal or dangerous use of e-scooters, reducing the risk of repeat offending.
Zoe Fisher, a serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: "Through my work, I too often see the devastation scooter collisions can have and how clients are often left needing specialist support and rehabilitation.
"We can be hopeful that legislation coming into force this month is a positive step in the right direction in order to protect the safety of e-scooter users and other road users."
A Beryl spokesman said that while the risk of injury is always a concern, only seven minor injuries relating to its service were reported in Norwich in 2022.
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