search.noResults

search.searching

dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
WHIZZING DOWN A NEW CYCLE LANE NEAR YOU


e-scooters in the West Midlands, as well as further reducing their maximum speed from the current 15.5mph to 12 mph. They can go downhill at over 30mph.


HOW DOES ALL THIS AFFECT OUR INDUSTRY?


Firstly, both taxi and PHV drivers will have to be alert to, and aware of, the presence of e-scooters in the trial areas, because those drivers will be pulling up to the side of a road to pick up or drop off passengers, often across one of these new pop-up cycle lanes (in which e-scooters can now scoot). That applies not only to the pulling up to the kerb but also the opening of doors on the near- side. Potential nightmare.


Crucially, the rental e-scooters will now be able to use both the cycle lanes and the ordinary roads (except for motorways). This means that licensed drivers must be doubly vigilant, wherever you’re going… because according to campaigners for blind chari- ties, you can’t hear the things approaching or going past – which is of course a major problem for sight-impaired people, never mind our fully sighted thousands of taxi/PHV drivers.


SO WHERE ARE THEY UP TO?


We’re certain that there are hundreds of e-scooter users out there who have not behaved like hooligans, have observed rules of the road (such as they are at the present time), and have not collided with pedestrians, cyclists or indeed taxis/PHVs.


However – as is always the case with news headlines – there are some pretty dramatic horror stories out there involving e-scooters in “traffic incidents”. Of course the worst happened in July 2019 when YouTube and television presenter Emily Hartridge died as a result of falling under a lorry due to excessive speed and an under- inflated tyre on her e-scooter.


According to Christopher Uff, head of neurosurgery at the Royal London Hospital: “E-scooters are responsible for a growing num- ber of serious injuries to both riders and pedestrians brought into this hospital. One rider will suffer brain damage for the rest of his life, [and]… we’ve treated a number of pedestrians who have been knocked over by e-scooters on pavements. Typically, their injuries range from broken bones to skull fractures and in one case, a brain haemorrhage.”


A woman yoga teacher was struck from behind and fell into a canal as she cycled along a towpath in the dark. The scooter rider didn’t stop, as he was wearing headphones and didn’t know what had happened. Luckily the woman was rescued by a member of the public who heard her cries.


The hit-and-run happened last month along the Regent’s Canal in Hackney, East London, the day before the year-long scooter trial was halted in Coventry.


Solent Transport has been working with the DfT to allow for the reallocation of £900,000 from other schemes to pay for e-scooter schemes across Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, Winchester and Southampton. However, before the Portsmouth scheme is given the green light next spring, councillors are keen to prevent an “e- scooter Wild West”; consequently they have devised a “long list of requirements” they would have to work out with the operator, such as: users would have to be over 17; they would have to sign a con- tract; both speed and road access restrictions would be put in place; and possible lights put on the scooters for night time use.


OCTOBER 2020


ON THE MOTORWAY? ARE YOU KIDDING?? Meanwhile,


last


month police seized an e-scooter from a rider on the M3 near Eastleigh. The rider was fined, given six points on their driv- ing licence and had their scooter seized that afternoon for no insurance. Police had to warn once again that privately owned e-scooters are illegal to use on public roads and footpaths.


Confusing? You bet! The rental e-scooter trials are an open book for privately owned e-scooters to hit the road; as we have said, who’s to tell the difference? How do they enforce such a scheme? In Coventry, over 5,000 rentals took place in the first five days before they had to close it down, so it’s a very popular mode of transport for sure. Birmingham’s trial is continuing.


Trevor Sterling, partner and head of Major Trauma at Moore Barlow LLP, said: “As an advocate of e-scooters, I would truly like to see these vehicles successfully trialled, but this cannot come at the cost of rider safety. The government must take note of the current holes in the regulation of e-scooters and take action to legislate and educate riders.


“…the compulsory personal safety measures for riders are cur- rently non-existent… Without these measures included in the current regulation, there is a significant increase in the likelihood of serious injury occurring… I am concerned that we will see a rise in single victim accidents in relation to e-scooters. With more privately owned e-scooters on the roads, no mandatory personal safety requirements and the trial virtually unpoliceable, these are far from ideal conditions for individuals to be riding in.


“When accidents do occur they will be tragic and the fault of the current uncertain regulation and discrepancies in rules around e-scooters. This will lead to crash victims having to pay for years of expensive rehabilitation support.” And that is from a fan of e-scooters.


But here’s the crunch: it would be extremely advisable for all licensed taxi and PHV drivers, especially in these e-scooter trial areas (which are down for lasting twelve months), to check your individual insurance policies as regards coverage in light of a potential collision with the e-scooter and its rider. We say this because ostensibly, the rental e-scooters’ users are covered by the supplier’s insurance policy; that would want checking out as well.


However, it still is not a requirement for private e-scooter owners to hold insurance, on the basis that they aren’t supposed to be out on our roads in the first place… but are turning up in droves.


As always, we’re thinking of your safety and sanity. “Be careful out there” now takes on an extra meaning…


Whizz.. what the hell was that???! Article written by Donna Short


71


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112