Monday March 9th 2026
Photo by Michel Grolet (Unsplash)
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Stuart Sommerville
Pensioners in West Lothian are increasingly frightened by the number of children and teenagers using e-scooters and electric bikes on pavements, councillors have heard.
Councillor Carl John, who is in his seventies, told fellow councillors many constituents “most of them younger than me” had raised concerns in East Calder and Uphall Station.
“I have had five different people coming to see me last month about this in different areas. If the police can help in any way at all, that would be great,” the councillor told PC Robert Montagu.
Councillor John told a meeting of East Livingston and East Calder Local Area Committee he had heard reports about children riding e-scooters to Calderwood Primary school.
“They say they can’t go on the road because the road’s not adopted, which I think is true, so they say the only way they can get down to school is on the pavement.
“I don’t know if the schools could be asked to, or through the police visiting the schools, ask the teachers to point out to children that older people may be hard of hearing, short of sight and maybe just can’t move as quickly out the way.”
Councillors across West Lothian have raised fears about the spread of e-scooters and e bikes in recent years, citing dangers of speed and their use on the road and pavements.
Councillor John said he had also received complaints about people using electric bikes and motor cycles on footpaths.
He added: “The council has put staggered gates on most footpaths, which has certainly helped, but I am getting people complaining that elderly people especially are scared to go on the paths, because of most of the youngsters whizzing up and down on electric bikes and electric scooters.”
PC Montagu told the local area committee: “There are information leaflets with regard to the electric scooters and electric bikes.
“It is very difficult for us to try and catch some of them because they don’t always abide by the law of stopping when a police vehicle or a police officer tries to stop them.
“These items are readily available on the internet and we have put out previously information on social media. It is illegal for you to have these motor vehicles on the road. Technically electric bikes and electric scooters would be classified as a motor vehicle. It needs to be registered and have indicators and everything like that for you to be able to have that.
“We will reach out to all the primary schools.”
In the past Police Scotland officers have told councillors that Holyrood legislation needs to be brought in to control the supply of the scooters. In some UK cities e-bikes and e-scooters are allowed, and provided by commercial operators including in Salford.
E-bikes and e-scooters can only be used legally on private land. To use one on the road- even though most people will have witnessed it- is illegal under the Road Traffic Act. The vehicles are classified as a motor vehicle and riders need a licence and insurance.
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