E-scooters in Reading: are they a town centre problem?

The zippy devices have surged in popularity over the past year, but not everyone loves them.

When we ran our last story on the vehicles -- about police stopping riders to remind them of the law around e-scooters (more on that later) -- you responded with a range of views.

There were some who were all in favour of e-scooters.

One reader said: “They’re great little things along as they’re ridden with a bit of common sense. Cyclists are more of an issue.”

But others disagreed, with one saying: “They are dangerous. They weave all over the road and don’t care if they pull out in front of you. They ride in groups. They have no lights, rarely have I seen people wear hi-vis.”

READ MORE: E-scooter rider fined for having no insurance on vehicle

In truth, the comments on our last story were, in the majority, more positive towards e-scooters than they were negative.

But with a range of views aired both on our story and online generally, I wanted to see what the experience of e-scooters for a pedestrian was on an average day (that day being Thursday, June 10) in the town centre.

If the law was being followed, I shouldn’t have seen any -- e-scooters qualify as ‘powered transporters’ and are therefore required to have MOT, tax, licensing and insurance.

As e-scooters can’t currently meet these requirements, riding a privately-owned e-scooter on a public road, or another public place, is a road traffic offence.

But as soon as I stepped out of the Riverside car park shortly before 9am on Thursday morning I was nearly hit by an e-scooter rider steaming past.

It took me by surprise (probably because I was looking at my phone!) but also because of how fast it was going. Those things can move!

READ MORE: Boy attacked for scooter outside fish and chip shop

I cracked on with some proper journalism (anyone for a story on Reading Police Station?) before heading out for lunch to see if I could spot any more around the centre of town.

And to be truthful, they were very hard to come by.

I set off from the Chronicle’s offices on Bridge Street before heading through St Mary’s Butts and onto Broad Street.

No e-scooters seen, but plenty of pushbikes around.

A slow walk through Broad Street led me to Market Place, through Friar Street past the new Wendy’s (with loads of people still queuing!) and then down West Street.

Still nothing in 20 minutes of walking (it was a slow walk).

I ventured down Oxford Road to grab a few pictures of the Pentahotel (which has also been in the news recently, in case you missed that) when I came across my first e-scooter!

READ MORE: Scooter rider suffers serious chest and arm injuries in crash with car

It was like Christmas had come early. A woman on her black e-scooter zoomed past me (at a respectful distance) heading away from the town centre.

I thought this would open the floodgates to a plethora of e-scooters buzzing round in front of me, but sadly this was the last one I saw before heading to Reading town hall for an inquest (for more of that serious journalism I was on about).

After the inquest ended, I trudged back down from Market Place onto Broad Street for one last hope of seeing some more e-scooters.

Surely they were more common than this?

And then, like buses, two came at once. Heading down Broad Street towards Oxford Road, one lad on a scooter zoomed past me before stopping to talk to someone outside EE.

At the exact same time, another weaved past me heading towards Market Place.

This was what my journalism training had been building up to. In a seriously impressive show of camerawork, I was able to grab pictures of both riders before they disappeared from view.

I didn’t feel threatened or in danger by either rider -- both wheeled past me at a safe distance and neither were travelling that fast, in truth.

Buzzing with my impressive tally of three (3) e-scooters witnessed, I returned to the office.

READ MORE: Boy has scooter stolen in town centre

Later, when my colleague left the office, she managed to come across a rider as she left out Bridge Street offices.

She also saw a rider on St Mary's Butts moments later.

Perhaps e-scooter riders are more common in the afternoon?

Anyway, that took our tally to five.

Leaving the office at half past five after a long day of hard-journalism, my colleague and I had to step out of the way of an oncoming e-scooter just outside the Riverside car park entrance (the same place I came across that zippy scooter in the morning).

This rider was travelling at a faster speed than the two I had seen on Broad Street and the two my colleague had come across on Bridge Street).

The only time I felt slightly in danger was when I came across the two riders outside the Riverside car park. The other device-users kept reasonable distances.

But as I said earlier, I was looking at my phone when I encountered the e-scooter rider in the morning and I was in conversation with my colleague when I felt the breeze of the rider at the end of the day, so there’s an element of needing to keep your wits about you, too.

READ MORE: Town centre police remind riders of e-scooter laws -- but what are they?

So what was my experience of e-scooters on an average day in Reading?

They certainly weren’t as common as one might expect -- I saw a lot more pushbikes down Broad Street and Friar Street.

Even when I did come across some I didn’t feel threatened or unsafe despite a couple of slight scares.

I first came across e-scooters on holiday in the USA in 2018 and thought they were a great and cheap (as well as environmentally-friendly) way of getting around.

And it seems some council leaders agree, with Buckinghamshire Council and Milton Keynes local authorities trying out trials for e-scooters in their patches.

It might only be a matter of time before a similar scheme is launched in Reading.

Let’s see what the future holds -- but for now, I don't feel e-scooters are a major issue in the town centre but understand why some people (including the police!) might disagree.