Electric bikes and scooters are causing fear and Worry According to a new report, for blind and partially seen people.
Increasing use of E bike And E scooter The roads are making a “nightmare” for those blind and partially seen when they either ride or parked on the pavement.
Only one (9 percent) blind people roam in their own neighborhoods, filled with confidence, Royal National Institute of Blind People (Charity (RNIB) Thanks for the use of micromobility transport, said, said.
The vast majority (92 percent) of 1,197 blind or partially viewed surveyed for the report that they had to walk on the streets as the footpaths are interrupted by cars, bikes or e-scooters parked.
More than a third of respondents (34 percent) said that they had collided with a road barrier in the last three months.
One person explained how they now have to rely on a cane because their guide dog was withdrawn after trying to walk with the blocked pavements.
Many cities have introduced a dockless fare schemes for electric bikes and scooters.
Users are requested to park vehicles in a way that other people do not discomfort, but this is not always there, bikes and scooters are often scattered in pavements.
Eric Mattheis, RNIB’s policy lead for travel and transport, who has vision loss, said it is getting blind and partially difficult to be seen Pedestrians And wheelchair users to move freely due to “more and more obstacles on the roads”.
He went away: “I always have to double check or think how I am going to walk.
“It is tired, takes more time and also makes me feel unsafe.
“E-scooter and dockless bikes left on the pavement have added cars to the issues to be parked on the sidewalks, and the advertising boards are scattered on all.”
He said that not knowing e-bike or e-scooter is going to pass you “on speed”, causing “mental health issues” for some people.
The RNIB is calling the government to make “inclusive standards” to make “for pavements” which can be implemented firmly “, and urge local authorities to maintain access to footpaths during roadwork, better monitoring of food distribution courier cycling drivers, and better regulation of rental e-scooters and e-backs.
A Transport department (DFT) spokesperson said: “Security is our top priority, and private e-scooters are illegal on public roads.
“We have clarified that with any test plans, local authorities should ensure that e-scooters do not disrupt others, especially people with disabilities.
“To climb on careless parking, we are bringing new powers to regulate e-scooters and e-bikes, allowing local areas to shape their needs to better meet their needs, while dealing with badly parks that are dealt with disruptive for many road users.”
Tom Hunt, who presided over the Inclusive Development Committee of the Local Government Association, said: “Councils take their responsibilities to ensure that the paths and pavements are very seriously accessible to all.
“Further involvement in the deviation bill of regulatory powers for local authorities to manage shared e-scooters and e-bike schemes will help in dealing with incompatible parking of such vehicles.
“The government should take action on the use of an estimated e-scooters with an estimated private-owned e-scooters, which remain illegal to use on public roads and lack any security restrictions of e-scooter rent schemes, and the growing number of unlicensed and unlicensed electric motorbikes is being sold and used as an e-bike.”
The latest DFT data shows that 52 pedestrians were seriously injured in a confrontation with e-scooters in England in 2023.
Private e-scooters cannot be used legally in public areas in the UK, although they are a common view in many urban areas.
Since July 2020, legal testing of rental e-scooters on roads in towns and cities across England is underway.