Offences involving electric bikes and scooters have increased fivefold in Renfrewshire as police step up efforts to tackle their illegal and dangerous use.
Police Scotland said the growing use of personal electric vehicles, including e-scooters and electric motorcycles, has become a road policing and community safety concern.
Police have received complaints about antisocial riding, dangerous use on pavements and vehicles being used without legally required insurance, registration or tax where applicable.
Recorded offences involving electric vehicles increased fivefold between 1st April and 30th June 2026 compared with the same period last year. Police said the increase reflected both the growing number of vehicles being used and increased enforcement.
The issue was discussed at Renfrewshire Council’s Police and Fire and Rescue Scrutiny Sub-Committee on Tuesday 18th August.
Concerns were raised about e-bikes and e-scooters being ridden at speed on Paisley High Street, including by young people.
Chief Superintendent Rhona Fraser said: “It is very much a national issue and it is a real concern in terms of safety, not just for the other people on the road but for the individuals who use the bikes.
“As you have alluded to, many of them are very young and sometimes carry passengers who are younger than the actual rider. It is an extremely difficult and difficult area for us to police.
“There very much needs to be a joint response to this, in terms of partnerships, parenting and education. It is extremely difficult for us out in the community, with not just the numbers involved but the movement and how we can appropriately and safely stop and intervene.
“I appeal to everyone at the meeting to do their best to push that messaging out, because it is not safe.
“They are too fast for the young person. They are not legal, and that is what it comes down to. If the risk is not enough, the legality should be.”
Police said there are a number of hotspots across Renfrewshire and information from members of the public is helping officers identify areas and times where problems are occurring.
Officers are also working with Renfrewshire Council’s Public Space CCTV team.
Police explained that attempting to chase riders can create additional risks to the rider and members of the public. Instead, officers can investigate afterwards using CCTV to try to identify riders, trace where they have gone and identify the bikes involved.
Inspector Ross Wilson said: “What we have been doing, with recent success, is that we are going after the fact. We can do CCTV trawls and we can go back. There are times when they are either taking their masks off or we are able to find out a property that they are going to.
“We are also able to identify the bike and it is popping up somewhere else across Renfrewshire. Again, we are getting further information. Just recently, we have been able to apply for a sheriff’s warrant and execute that on a property where we have located a bike and a person has been charged with that.
“We are using a number of tactics. I appreciate that there does sometimes be the reaction that the police are not reacting to it, but we have to be mindful of the wider risks to the community.”
Police launched Project Trail on 26th June to focus on the illegal use of e-scooters and e-bikes.
Before Renfrewshire schools closed for the summer, local police attended every school to provide safety guidance about the misuse of e-bikes and e-scooters.
Safety information was also sent to parents and carers through school apps.
Police said plain-clothes and high-visibility patrols are being used as part of the response and appealed for the public to continue providing information which could help officers identify riders and seize bikes.