E-scooters to be allowed on public roads

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CanucksTraveller

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Location
Hertfordshire
But replacing one-person transport with a 5kg payload over one-person transport with a tonne & a half payload has to be a no-brainer doesn't it? We can fine-tune the rules and regs as we go along. And realistically it'll only ever be a marginal help (most people will still prefer their cars). But every little helps, no?

Yes, and I think your theory is both admirable and completely sound as a starting premise. I'd love to see thousands of these replace thousands of cars, in theory. I'm just not sure (looking at the evidence in Paris) you can then trust legislators and authorities to set the right rules and environment, even less enforce it.

Look at policing and enforcement in the UK: We've become so car centric that the police are now largely car centric too. They mostly set out on their shifts in their cars, and they react to incidents in their cars, and on the rare occasions they're not doing that, they might look for car related offences, albeit only sexy ones. They're not really effectively addressing things like phone / internet use at the wheel. They're not out walking or riding the street, policing poor scooter or cycle use and offences, they're not even being proactive on burglaries. If it's not something sexy happening in a car at high speed, they're pretty blind to it.

Give people a chance to be low-level lawless with no chance of penalty and many of them they will be. Unfortunately I think in modern society it's not as simple as changing / tweaking the laws, you have to be able to enforce them.
 

MarkF

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
It's good news for me, I've always thought cheap electric bikes/scooters wheelers would change commuting, never ever thought electric cars would. Best way to get cars off the road IMO.
 
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captain nemo1701

captain nemo1701

Space cadet. Deck 42 Main Engineering.
Location
Bristol
I'm not convinced that is the reason, I think it's more to do with the chances of being caught & more importantly fined/penalised are virtually nil. Last week the local council had a parking inspector/enforcement officer (or whatever the latest re-branding now calls them) was outside the local school, they ticketed cars parked on the zig-zag of the crossing, in the bus stop, at least 1 car parked on the junction, but as far as I know not on a couple parked half/half on the footpath. The next day no cars were parked in these areas, TBH not been back since so it may well be as bad again.
Yes, thats a contributing factor too. I call it the 'dump it anywhere you can get away with it' attitude.
 

Beebo

Firm and Fruity
Location
Hexleybeef
It's good news for me, I've always thought cheap electric bikes/scooters wheelers would change commuting, never ever thought electric cars would. Best way to get cars off the road IMO.
What’s the range of a scooter with an 85kg adult plus laptop?
 

CanucksTraveller

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Location
Hertfordshire
What’s the range of a scooter with an 85kg adult plus laptop?

About 10 to 20 miles. Some (the much more expensive ones) can do more.

We looked into one as my wife has a 1.5 mile trip to the train station, a 4 mile train journey (1 stop) and then another 1.5 miles at the other end. It would have been perfect.
We had to abandon the idea due to the fact they're (a) not legal on road or pavement and (b) the train company doesn't allow them.
 

Beebo

Firm and Fruity
Location
Hexleybeef
About 10 to 20 miles. Some (the much more expensive ones) can do more.

We looked into one as my wife has a 1.5 mile trip to the train station, a 4 mile train journey (1 stop) and then another 1.5 miles at the other end. It would have been perfect.
We had to abandon the idea due to the fact they're (a) not legal on road or pavement and (b) the train company doesn't allow them.
Is that a policy. I can see why trains might not want them blocking their trains. But they fold quite small.
 

CanucksTraveller

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Location
Hertfordshire
Is that a policy. I can see why trains might not want them blocking their trains. But they fold quite small.

It's policy on Thameslink, yes, we enquired. Folding bicycles only, sadly.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
I for one dont welcome them. Cycling has been around for well over century and anyone wanting cheap and effective local or urban transport need look no further, but they choose not too because that smacks of effort A powered scooter is simply pandering to the bone idle lazy and self entitled.
 

MarkF

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
I for one dont welcome them. Cycling has been around for well over century and anyone wanting cheap and effective local or urban transport need look no further, but they choose not too because that smacks of effort A powered scooter is simply pandering to the bone idle lazy and self entitled.

But I reckon it'd get a good % of the car driving staff who commute to the hospital out of their cars, most of whom live within a 10 mile radius. I know a few who have something like the below and that's the sort of thing I was thinking of, not the wibbly wobbly things.

s-l640.jpg
 

Stephenite

Membå
Location
OslO
I bought one for the gf last year. It's great. I often take the 4 year old to kindergarten on it. And occasionally used it for the 10km commute to work - on the road.
 
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