CONCERNS over young people using e-scooters in Tranent have been raised by community councillors following an incident this month.

Community councillor Robert McNeill alerted members to an incident on the evening of May 15 in Tranent town centre.

He said that two boys of an unknown age were riding electric scooters along High Street and were close to crashing into a car.

He said that if a crash had taken place, the boys could have been seriously or fatally injured due to the speed they were travelling at at the time of the incident.

Mr McNeill also said that some of those using e-scooters were weaving in and out of traffic.

He added: “People say: ‘Well, what about a bike?’ I think there is a slight difference here.

“A bike is controlled by the individual. These scooters, although they are mechanical, they are not necessarily totally in control of these things.

“They are also racing up and down High Street as well at night. It is quite dangerous.

“There has been a debate if these things are legal – seemingly they are not legal as far as children are concerned.”

He went on to say that e-scooters were becoming more and more common and the ages of children using them was getting younger.

Simon Davie, area manager for Fa’side Area Partnership, told members that the issue regarding e-scooters has been raised with police and they were seeking guidance on the issue and actively looking at it.

There have been issues regarding e-scooters in neighbouring Prestonpans, with some youths terrorising and harassing bus drivers and passengers, and others harassing residents.

If an e-scooter is being driven on a road it needs the right insurance, licensing and road tax.