A YOUNG man has been slapped with a hefty fine after he was caught riding an e-scooter.

Delvin Fogarty, of Basingstoke Road, was convicted of riding the device without insurance or a licence between his home address and Home Farm Close on June 13, 2021.

According to Google Maps, this is a cycling distance of 3.8 miles or a driving distance of four miles.

Although a court file did not indicate the route Fogarty took, Google Maps suggests the fastest driving route is a 12-minute journey via the A33.

For these two offences, Fogarty, aged 19, was fined £160.

In addition to this, he was told to pay a £34 victim surcharge and £85 in court fees.

His driving record was endorsed with six points.

Fogarty was sentenced via single justice procedure at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, April 27.

He did not appear for his hearing.

Why was Fogarty fined?

E-scooters qualify as ‘powered transporters’ and must have MOT, tax, licensing and insurance.

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

What happens if you ride your e-scooter in a public place?

Anyone caught doing this is committing a criminal offence and can be prosecuted.

Charges can include driving without a valid licence and driving without insurance.

If found guilty, the penalty can be a fine of £300 and up to six points on your driving licence if you have one.

Your e-scooter could also be seized.

What about e-scooters you can hire legally?

In areas where government trials allow you to hire e-scooters for legal use, such as in Oxford or Buckinghamshire, riders must lease the scooters from companies with relevant motor insurance.

Riders must also be over 16, hold a full provisional driving licence, and drive them on public roads and cycle lanes but not on pavements.

Only one person can use them at any one time.

Reading borough does not have an e-scooter trial scheme in place.