SOUTHAMPTON residents have voiced their frustration at “dangerous” e-scooters whizzing around the city.

Elderly people and children could be in danger from the vehicles which are being trialled in the city by the council, says Shirley man, Tony Weafer.

In one incident, the 68-year-old confronted a e-scooter rider for illegally riding on the pavement in Shirley Road, before receiving the chilling threat of: “Do you wanna get stabbed?”

Rules on the council’s website tell users ‘do not ride on pavements’.

The e-scooter trial between the authority and Voi Scooters runs until November, and riders must be at least 18 years old and have a driving licence to use one.

The council says e-scooters can also not exceed 10mph and their top speed is dictated by where it is being ridden. Across the city there are ‘no-ride’ and ‘slow-speed’ zones.

Civic chiefs also stress that privately-owned, unregulated e-scooters remain illegal, except on private land.

Tony said: “If scooters are to be a thing of our future they need to be controlled properlyby the authorities.

“The trial is going wrong because these scooters are being used on the pavements and the authorities are not there to protect us.

“I find it extremely annoying the council or authorities have dumped this on us. That is what I feel really, really angry about.”

City residents have complained of e-scooters mounting pavements, jumping lights, weaving through traffic and riding on the wrong side of the road.

Owner of Clarence Hardware Stores in Shirley Road, Chris Carter said: “The law is not made clear. If people ride them with common sense, there will be no problems. A lot of them are so arrogant.”

The 65-year-old added: “It just amazes me there are not more accidents. I think there should be a discussion about where to ride them.”

Meanwhile, Pete Gallagher, 55, owner of Make it Magic in Shirley High Street, said he sees the issue from “both sides of the fence”, and suggested a proficiency test for riders.

He said: “It’s almost like a gun. It’s the person who pulls the trigger.”

In response to the concerns, Councillor Jeremy Moulton, Cabinet Member for Growth at Southampton City Council said; “We want to assure local road users of the various measures in place to ensure the safe usage of e-scooters in the city.

"We continue to reiterate the importance of using our legal e-scooters provided for this Government funded trial, as these are closely monitored by Voi - our appointed supplier – and operate under a number of safety conditions.

"These include geofencing technology which slows and stops the e-scooters in designated areas; a beginner’s mode to allow new users to adapt to riding; and a capped maximum speed of 12.5mph. Voi also provides free road safety and e-scooter riding lessons through its in-app, as well as in-person safety events."

He added: "We nevertheless acknowledge that there may be ongoing concerns over the safe use of e-scooters including private e-scooters being used illegally in public spaces.

"We are continuing to work closely with Voi and Hampshire Constabulary to monitor and address these as they arise and we await the conclusion of the Government trial in 2022 to see how future legislation will adapt. In addition, we are currently working on an upcoming campaign to directly support e-scooter users’ safety - which remains the number-one priority of the trial here in Southampton.”