E-scooters being advertised for commuting despite UK road ban
A Press Association investigation found major retailers advertising e-scooters for "commuting" and "urban riding".
An investigation from the Press Association (PA) found major brands and independent sellers were promoting their use on the roads.
But e-scooters can only legally be ridden on roads, cycle paths and in parks in the UK if they are rented as part of a government-backed scheme. Privately-owned e-scooters can only be used on private land with the landowner's permission.
But smaller retailers still appear to be promoting e-scooters for commuting or riding in towns and cities.
PA said an e-scooter for sale on Amazon was recommended for "urban commuting".
Amazon said its guidelines stated that e-scooters should not show pictures of riders on roads or pavements and that entries on its website had to state that e-scooters were prohibited from use in public in the UK.
Argos said it had "updated wording on a search page to replicate what we already include on our product pages to be even more clear for our customers".
Currys said it was reviewing its website "to make sure no product listings suggest e-scooters can be used on public roads or spaces".
A description of an e-scooter as a "fun, efficient means of getting around your local area" appears to have been taken down from its UK site, and its pages selling e-scooters have a note explaining the law.
Many smaller retailers still had pages online with electric "commuter" scooters for sale.
One said its e-scooters were "a great way for adults to get around the city, zipping between traffic at speeds of up to 15mph".
Another said its products "for commuting" were a "smart choice for daily travel needs".
There were no warnings on the sales page that this was not allowed in the UK.
Riders of regulated rental e-scooters must have a provisional or full driving licence.
People who break the rules with a private e-scooter can be fined or have points added to their licence , external .
According to government estimates , external , there were 10 deaths and 485 serious injuries in e-scooter collisions in 2025.
The Department for Transport has said , external there could be up to 1.2 million privately-owned e-scooters in the UK.
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