Electric scooters.

[KnittyNorah]

No one is suggesting that anyone has the automatic right to harass or cause fear and alarm.

I am suggesting that irresponsible motorised vehicle users at least appear to 'get away with it', as they assume a de-facto right to use the pavements for their own illegal purposes - and there is so little control of their behaviour that there is effectively no hindrance or barrier to either their driving on the pavement (e-scooters) or parking on the pavement (vehicles of all sorts).
While vicious dogs, unruly youths and inconsiderate pedal cyclists (including inadequately- supervised small children) all contribute to the 'fear and alarm' felt too often by vulnerable pedestrians, it seems ... extra 'off' ... that motorised vehicles encroaching on the small, reserved-for-pedestrians-and-the-like appear to do so without any constraint.

The reason I feel so strongly about it is that I have been that severely visually-impaired person, and I have felt that fear.

 

[captain nemo1701]

Bad parking this morning:

 

[fossyant]

Bad parking this morning:
View attachment 677395

I'm seeing quite a few Beryl bikes getting dumped no-where near the docking stations. It's only going to go the way of the Mobikes.

 

[captain nemo1701]

I'm seeing quite a few Beryl bikes getting dumped no-where near the docking stations. It's only going to go the way of the Mobikes.

The 'next escooter operator' (anyone think its an eternal trial?) in Bristol has promised to work with the council on parking bays in the road rather than current operator Voi whose policy appears to be just fly-tip them where you like.

 

[classic33]

The trials have since been extended until May 2024.

https://zagdaily.com/places/industr...lation-with-little-more-to-learn-from-trials/

 

[captain nemo1701]

The trials have since been extended until May 2024.

https://zagdaily.com/places/industr...lation-with-little-more-to-learn-from-trials/

Voi are claiming its a success based purely on, it appears, of totting up the number of hires/day. That's akin to the monarchy claiming it brings in £500M in tourism (actually about 0.01% of the real figure) by adding up ticket sales in anything vaguely connected to the royals.

The bulk of people I see on Voi escooters here in Bristol are students, teenagers etc who probably don't own car, can't afford one and judging by their poor roadcraft (riding towards you in left hand painted cycle lanes!!), none of them have ever really driven or ridden anything. So they're not really taking cars off the road.

What they are doing, is undermining the council's active transport policy which encourages walking and cycling as healthy activities.

I see someone on an escooter on the pavement swerving in between pedestrians and my thought is, 'too lazy to walk, too afraid of the road'.

 

[icowden]

Voi are claiming its a success based purely on, it appears, of totting up the number of hires/day. That's akin to the monarchy claiming it brings in £500M in tourism (actually about 0.01% of the real figure) by adding up ticket sales in anything vaguely connected to the royals.

Yep. Where is the problem? A company measures success in sales. Hires = sales. How else would you measure success?

 

[classic33]

Yep. Where is the problem? A company measures success in sales. Hires = sales. How else would you measure success?

Frequency of extra repairs/replacements.
Which cost money, thereby decreasing profit. A bit like shoplifting creates a loss for a shop.

 

[icowden]

Frequency of extra repairs/replacements.
Which cost money, thereby decreasing profit. A bit like shoplifting creates a loss for a shop.

But that isn't the thrust of the article which is looking at the viability of e-scooters, which in turn is proven by the number of hires.
If you want to look at profitability then look at their accounts which are showing millions of pounds of profits and a 140% increase in revenue on the back of increased demand for micromobility (scooters)

 

[classic33]

But that isn't the thrust of the article which is looking at the viability of e-scooters, which in turn is proven by the number of hires.
If you want to look at profitability then look at their accounts which are showing millions of pounds of profits and a 140% increase in revenue on the back of increased demand for micromobility (scooters)

Viability of e-scooter hire schemes, where those operating them feel there is nothing new to be learned.

E-scooters outside of trial areas, and private e-scooters within the trial areas remain illegal vehicles, in operation. W
Who wouldn't want to sell you something that can't be used legally, at present. Especially if you're one of those that has theirs seized and feel that you have to replace it.

When the trials come to an end, I'd say a load of people will just get rid of their now illegal vehicles. Reason being that they will require taxing, MOT, insurance and driving licence. And not forgetting the minimum age of 16 for use.

 

[captain nemo1701]

Yep. Where is the problem? A company measures success in sales. Hires = sales. How else would you measure success?

It would appear that they are looking solely at these figures and not at the safety record. These things are literally all over the pavements in Bristol and you cannot hear them coming. A 71 year old female friend of mine got knocked into a hedge by one and spent 24 hours in an ambulance. Quite why anyone needs motorised transport if they're not disabled on a pavement is beyond me. I visited a mate in Exeter last August...loved it for no escooters around at all over 3 days.

Plus, when serial liar Bojo got in back in 2019, suddenly 'Bristol was selected...'. we had no warning, no debate etc, just imposition from a government headed by a man who thinks grandiose schemes are great eg. garden bridges in London, bridges to Northern Ireland.

Factoring in both Halfords & Curry's flog these blasted things and are pushing for legalisation, I smell a backhander-rat with these 'trials'. Its a bit like the old gag about the USSR: someone broke into the Kremlin last night and stole next years election result.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Factoring in both Halfords & Curry's flog these blasted things and are pushing for legalisation,

I am reminded of the stores finding loopholes for Sunday opening laws (or ignoring them completely) back in the day.

Do E-scooters have numberplates in the UK? I've mentioned before that we have private E scooters here but they are legally a "Mofa" judging by the plates which means they have insurance and you need some basic licence to drive them.

This does not explain their use on pavements though.

 

[icowden]

When the trials come to an end, I'd say a load of people will just get rid of their now illegal vehicles. Reason being that they will require taxing, MOT, insurance and driving licence. And not forgetting the minimum age of 16 for use.

Do you think the same should be true for e-bikes? If not, why not?

 

[Andy in Germany]

Do you think the same should be true for e-bikes? If not, why not?

Depends on the E-bike. The cutoff in Germany is (I think) 16km/h or 10 mph. An e-bike with more power is legally a 'mofa' or small motor scooter and requires tax and insurance and should in theory be used exclusively on roads. Their motors work to something like 29km/h.

 

[classic33]

I am reminded of the stores finding loopholes for Sunday opening laws (or ignoring them completely) back in the day.

Do E-scooters have numberplates in the UK? I've mentioned before that we have private E scooters here but they are legally a "Mofa" judging by the plates which means they have insurance and you need some basic licence to drive them.

This does not explain their use on pavements though.

Some but not all the companies involved in the UK trials, have placed number plates on their hire e-scooters. Those not involved remain illegal, under current laws, to use on the public highways.