Does something need to be done about illegal/unlicenced/uninsured electric vehicles on our roads (and pavements)

[Werewolf]

So Paris has banned rental scooters:

Paris says au revoir to rental e-scooters

The ban comes after a vote in the French capital - but is it democracy in action?

www.bbc.co.uk

We have a rental service in our town which started off with e-scooters and has recently had e-Bikes added to the fleet. As someone who actively uses these services in the manner they're intended (actually riding them on the road), I fully support a ban.

Unfortunately the vast majority of other users are riding them dangerously by either being on the pavement, or having two riders on them at the same time. Living close to my place of work and our town centre, I'm often walking with headphones in and I've lost count of the near misses where e-scooter riders barely scrape past me from behind.

tl/Dr We can't have nice things because of people.

One of the things I've noticed with the rental ones where I've seen them is how often they're just left at random on the path, often on their side which is just great for anyone who is in a powered chair/mobility scooter or has visual problems (i mainly encounter the "legal" ones in Milton Keynes, a place that is generally exceptionally disabled friendly).

I've had more than one of the "private" ones going faster on the pavement than I am on the road, when I'm doing 15-20mph, and seen a couple doing what was probably 45 on the road (overtook me as i was doing 40 as that was the limit) with no lights or protective gear and being ridden by an utter prat of a teen.

I honestly can't say that I've seen many used in a way that could be described as safe, let alone legally.

*I had one overtake me in a 20 limit earlier, he was on the pavement.

 

[Mekrel]

One of the things I've noticed with the rental ones where I've seen them is how often they're just left at random on the path, often on their side which is just great for anyone who is in a powered chair/mobility scooter or has visual problems (i mainly encounter the "legal" ones in Milton Keynes, a place that is generally exceptionally disabled friendly).

This is also something I've experienced which confuses me because when I've used them, it won't let me end the ride/session unless it's in a GPS marked bay and I've uploaded a supporting photo.

 

[Maple Leaf]

We have a rental service in our town which started off with e-scooters and has recently had e-Bikes added to the fleet... Unfortunately the vast majority of other users are riding them dangerously by either being on the pavement, or having two riders on them at the same time...

This is the heart of the problem. Most people just don't treat rented things well, misbehave with them or just hire them for a laugh. If they had to buy their own legal e-scooter and take care of it far more of them would ride it responsibly and park it safely, because if they don't it will be confiscated/damaged/stolen.

Yes, there are some idiots riding private e-scooters carelessly/dangerously already, however, they know it is illegal to ride them in public places so they are not representative of normal people. (After all, if you are a normal person then a £300 fine, the confiscation of your e-scooter and 6 penalty points on your driving license would be a deterrent to doing it.)

Therefore, setting up a rental e-scooter scheme as an experiment to see how well this mode of transport works in a city is a flawed approach since it won't give you reliable data about how most normal people will behave if they were using their own e-scooter. Instead, it will amplify known problems (like teenagers riding on the pavement recklessly with passengers) and create new problems which would not occur for privately owned e-scooters (like badly parked e-scooters obstructing pavements).

If there was a large deposit necessary to rent an e-scooter (such as that required when you hire a car) with a contractual requirement to follow the road traffic regulations and the Highway Code then maybe dangerous rented e-scooter riders would not be an issue.

 

[China Man]

Has this happened or are you just making up a scenario?
I could make 1000s up for us motorists but they have probably all happened

Yes I made it up in my head and what is wrong with that scenario? a million things can cause a ripple effect, just because a small object itself cause little damage does not mean it will cause little harm on a road shared with all kinds of vehicles. Just because it is small does not mean it can be exempted from regulations, just because you run into a car will not cause much damage does not mean you can run across a motorway without causing death to other road user. I had twin turbo Supra, electric skateboard, scooter and now ebike and non is any more dangerous on its own if used correctly at the right place. Thanks to some bad apple electric skateboard and scooter is now outlawed, I don't want to see that happen to ebike and I am happy to see at least there is now law to control rather than outright ban ebikes. If nothing is done about the "title of this thread" and ebike get more and more powerful and into the wrong hands then it will get banned for sure

 

[SexyGreyFox]

If nothing is done about the "title of this thread" and ebike get more and more powerful and into the wrong hands then it will get banned for sure

The illegals ones are already banned (except on private land).
The Laws are already there.

 

[China Man]

Yes but that itself is not enough to stop the idiots who is either ignorance or outright rebellious against the authorities I know a youtuber who blatantly building with overpower motors and road testing ebikes and posting weekly online. Police need to enforce the law and I am sure they will when the current problem become big enough or more death to push this agender up their priority list. It is easy to set up road side dyno or speed testing with random road side stop and test, if over the power or not meet standard then impound the bikes etc. I am sure this is **** on the joy of people who use 1000w ebike sensibly but idiots usually attracted to the fastest ebike they can buy cheap and also the ones breaking all the road traffic laws we have in place.

 

[bainbridge]

I am joining this forum well late on this issue, and I would like to apologise now, should I offend someone who has asked or answered these very obvious solutions. And the fact these solutions haven't been enforced already leaves me with very little hope for a greener and more effective ways of doing little errands as it will make it very clear its not about The Beings that we are but would really be about the money they could extract from us. To a certain extent escooterers have to abide by some road acts should they be in breech of said 'Acts'. The incidents I've come across in media and witnessing have all been either individuals under the age of 17 and/or intoxicated goons. Should these offences occur then yes then 'fines' and 'court processing' should happen. But if a person is demonstrating clear awareness of other street users like a confident motorist, it isn't breaking the law if they are using their own desired mode, to travel on. The law should be you need to be at least 17 like driving as you have more awarness by this age. You should have a provisional licence at least to operate your form of travel. If you are witnessed by a citizen, who has recorded 'your' actions or seen by police, then yes actions should be taken. We shouldn't be made to insure via the motorists methods but should have some kind of public liability insurance to cover the person as a professional. In my area there are travellers who use their mode of transport on Horses and I'm sure their Horses aren't insured. How do the police insure their Horses? I'm sure it's liability insurance? So doesn't that mean if I take due care and attention to the environment I'm in and I buy public liability for myself as a professional escooter user, I'd be legal?

I just feel it's judged on the few as suppose to the many. And if statistics start showing it isn't under 17 year old and/or intoxicated individuals then I will before the banning of escooters but I feel these kids will continue to put a taboo on us more advanced users.

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