An e-scooter night curfew has been introduced to stop further incidents after five men are arrested and charged
Five men have been arrested and charged after riding Newcastle’s electric scooters whilst over the alcohol limit, and another man was charged for failing to provide a specimen. Those charged, aged between 19 and 22, are set to appear at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court next month.
The 12-month e-scooter scheme was launched last month by Newcastle City Council in a bid to cut carbon emissions and encourage locals to lead a healthier lifestyle, with 10 000 trips already made across the city.
However, the e-scooters hit headlines last week after the council received several complaints regarding concerns over safety fears. Frequent mishandling of the vehicles includes multiple users on one scooter, illegal riding on the pavements, alongside several racing the scooters in the early hours of the morning.
Due to the misuse of the vehicles, the company behind the launch, Neuron, was forced to introduce a night curfew with the scooters disconnected between the hours of 11pm and 5am. Since the overnight ban was commissioned, the company has seen a significant decline in the number of reported incidents.
A spokesman for the firm behind the scooters stated that whilst most users are responsible, "there will always be exceptions" and that users were given clear rules before using the vehicles.