E-scooter trials - but rental only. What do members think?

[whole diary]

[froome]

A Harris Interactive survey commissioned by Dott, Tier and Lime earlier this year found that if e-scooters were banned in Paris, 35 per cent of users said they would replace their trips with a personal car or would use a ride-hailing app like Uber.

Would these riders walk more? Not necessarily, say operators, noting that the average e-scooter ride in Paris is 3.2 km – which would take over an hour to cover on foot.

They present e-scooters more as a way to relieve public transport during the morning and evening rush hours.

The claim is often made that e-scooters take people off public transport and to an extent from walking rather than out of cars. These figures would seem to roughly support that. But they're also looking at it the other way; not "where did scooter riders come from?" but "now they are here, where would they go if we got rid of them?"

I very much doubt whether e-scooters have any noticeable effect on car usage. Most users I know are not car owners, and many of their decisions to use a scooter are spur of the moment decisions made because they come across one available while walking.

[Bmblbzzz]

You have to download an app before you can hire one, which is the kind of thing you're likely to do over wifi rather than on mobile data, ie at home (or school, work, etc) rather than in the street. But most of their users here in Bristol do seem to be students, who probably don't own cars. Though I do see more middle-aged people on them now than used to be the case.

[ChrisB]

You can download an app directly through 4G networks, most likely to nbe found in town centres with scooters. It really doesn't need to be via wifi (which in any case, can be found in many shops & cafes if really needed)

[Bmblbzzz]

The operators must have information on how many journeys are one-offs versus repeat riders, but do they make it public? It would be interesting as well as useful for transport planners. It would also be interesting to see how the ratio varied from place to place and what factors might influence it (such as availability of public transport, car ownership, road infrastructure for non-motorised users, etc). Certainly I see various e-scooters marked by Voi as being on long-term hire, including some which the long-term hirers have personalised in various (cosmetic) ways.

[ChrisB]

I would expect the contract/licence given to these operators (more so if it’s a trial) to include ridership figures. Try a FOI^▸ (Freedom of Information) request on the council?

[Marlburian]

illegal escooterist sues council

On reading the headline, my first reaction was that the woman might have a case, whether or not she was using the machine illegally. But then I read: '“Because it was dark I couldn’t see the hole,” she said.'

Which surely raises the question of what lights, if any, she had on her escooter. I think that some are sold with a tiny rear light and that it should be possible to fix a lamp on the front. How visible was she to other road users and pedestrians?

(She better not try riding down my road: in places two inches of the surface have worn away.)

[ChrisB]

Tat link isn’t working for me?

[TonyK]

illegal escooterist sues council

On reading the headline, my first reaction was that the woman might have a case, whether or not she was using the machine illegally. But then I read: '“Because it was dark I couldn’t see the hole,” she said.'

Which surely raises the question of what lights, if any, she had on her escooter. I think that some are sold with a tiny rear light and that it should be possible to fix a lamp on the front. How visible was she to other road users and pedestrians?

(She better not try riding down my road: in places two inches of the surface have worn away.)

Councils and homeowners still have a duty of care to wrongdoers, which is why one of our fellow poster's ring of concealed landmines could get him in trouble.

The legal defence of volenti non fit injuria means that no-one doing something wrong entirely voluntarily is going to get very far in court. To use this defence, the defendant (council here) would have to show that the claimant knew the existence and degree of any risk to her ill-chosen escapade, and expressly or implicitly accepted that risk and waived the right to damages. It isn't easy to prove both elements. The council would otherwise have to go for contributory negligence instead, which is only a partial defence. The court could find her 100% negligent and give her nowt.

I smell an ambulance chaser here, working on a contingency fee, and hoping to establish a precedent. If she loses, I can't see it going to appeal. If she wins, the council or its insurers might want to appeal to try to make sure nobody else comes cap in broken hand. If it happens a lot, someone will have to think about making some law on the subject.

[Marlburian]

Tat link isn’t working for me?

In which case it would really be a tat link. I've just clicked on it in my post and also on the one in Tony's quote and they both work for me. Google "Giovanna Drago Barnet escooter".

[Marlburian]

It could also be speculated how suitable are escooters' small wheels for today's road surfaces? How far are manufacturers responsible for designing something to cope with such surfaces?   All other road vehicles have larger wheels. Cyclists are the next most vulnerable, but the natural position of most of them is to look in front with the head slightly inclined downwards, whereas an escooterist is more inclined to hold their head upright.

I can recall cases being brought against the council when someone trips on an uneven pavement, but what about bridleways and footpaths over private land? Again, I've heard suggestions of cases against farmers following unfortunate encounters with cattle and horses, but it's surely impracticable for them to maintain all the rights-of-way over their land. Stiles, perhaps, and there are hundreds that need repair.

[Bmblbzzz]

Regarding the lights, some models of scooters are sold without lights while others come with lights front, rear, side and underneath, like a sci-fi spaceship. For the ones without lights, the rider could easily attach a light to the handlebars, just like a bike, and occasionally I've seen this done. Without more evidence, there's no way of knowing what sort of lights this woman had. But the duty of care extends to pedestrians and horse riders, neither of whom are required or expected to carry lights, so I'm not sure if this is actually a significant point in law.

[Marlburian]

Berkshire e-bike and e-scooter fires on the rise

[TonyK]

Berkshire e-bike and e-scooter fires on the rise

...caused by a recently purchased e-bike charger from a popular online marketplace.

Chargers bought from leading manufacturers may very occasionally cause problems, and chargers bought from online sellers may give years of service, but using the wrong kit for the job is a risk. A friend's daughter lost all of her belongings when her room-mate's cheap phone charger caught fire while both were at lectures. The fire in a Bristol flat in September last year, which led to one man falling to his death, was caused by a home-made electric bike catching fire. Too many people think that because it's only battery power, it isn't that dangerous. Experience is beginning to prove otherwise.

[CyclingSid]

Berkshire Fire and Rescue's version, presumably original source https://www.rbfrs.co.uk/latest-news/2023/royal-berkshire-fire-and-rescue-service-issues-safety-guidance-amid-an-alarming-rise-in-e-bike-and-e-scooter-fires/

[Red Squirrel]

New e-scooter rental scheme in Bristol will see parking spaces on roads instead of pavements

The contract to run Bristol's e-scooter scheme is up for renewal and could see major changes

A new e-scooter rental scheme in Bristol will see parking spaces move onto roads in designated spots instead of on pavements. The new rental scheme, expected to be brought in around spring or summer this year, will likely also include electric bicycles as well as e-scooters.

Swedish company Voi has operated rentable e-scooters in Bristol in a trial beginning in October 2020. But the scheme could soon be taken over by a new company, as the West of England has asked operators to bid for a long-term contract across the wider region.

Bristol City Council is planning to address some issues on “parking and rider behaviour” with the current Voi e-scooters by shifting parking spaces from virtual spots on pavements onto clearly marked areas on the road. The cabinet is due to sign off these plans on January 24.

...continues

Source: Bristol Live