James Scott’s Post

Commentary on the recent news from Melbourne Extract below: Today, an estimated 15,000 shared e‑scooters are in use across Australia and New Zealand. No official figures are available for private e‑scooters, but there are likely to be many more of them. The first thing to note is these reports don’t distinguish between shared and private e‑scooters. This matters because the shared e‑scooter market is highly regulated in Australia. In contrast, private e‑scooters are not registered. They have different quality specifications and can have larger motors, often exceeding regulated engine outputs that vary from state to state. Importantly, private e‑scooters lack the advanced technologies used on shared e‑scooters to monitor rider use. There is little to no regulation or quality control over the private e‑scooters Australians can buy. Some models seen on the streets can exceed the legal speed limit. All that’s stopping them speeding is rider responsibility and police oversight. Hospitals records of e‑scooter injuries do not distinguish between private or shared e‑scooter riders. That’s also true of injury reporting and statistics, due to the way authorities collect crash statistics. https://lnkd.in/gZDt25Gu

Thinking outside the box series: April E-Scooters: Coming Soon to a Street Near You or Not? Professor's Stephen Greaves, ITLS and Geoffrey Rose, Monash University discuss how the proliferation of e-scooters in Australia has brought about legislative challenges, with confusing rules and safety concerns, revealing a disconnect between existing regulations and public expectations. The evolving landscape calls for a thorough examination of infrastructure, licensing, registration, and insurance to ensure the responsible and sustainable integration of e-scooters into the urban transportation system. Read more here | https://lnkd.in/gt8gxkZ6 #escooter #electricscooter #scooter #ebike #electricvehicle

Parking regulations vary in different cities, and parking, in particular, can be challenging on narrow streets. For instance, when parallel parking, the vehicle should not be more than 30cm from the curb, according to traffic and rules regulations. In Amsterdam, the distance is 30cm from the canal/water, and quite often, there are no stoppers or columns to guide drivers. So, during parking, accident acceleration can cause car drowning and life risks. After the initial shock and stress of parking in the city, you're faced with another one - the cost of parking. At a rate of 7.5 euros per hour on the streets, parking can be quite expensive. I can compare it with a coffee. Imagine you want a cup of coffee and want to enjoy the beautiful spring weather. To fulfil your plan, you'll need to "pay for a second cup" (pay for parking). Drink one, pay for two. This is a common scenario for car owners in Amsterdam. Or you can choose car-sharing services like Share-now, Sixt, MyWheels, Vloto, etc., which already include parking in Amsterdam. This would be less stressful for your budget and more honest because you pay for 1 cup of cappuccino or espresso and enjoy one delicious coffee. #parkingRegulations #trafficRules #amsterdamParking #carSharing #cityLiving

Another city doing away with e-scooters...(this time down under!) Coming off of a great week at the ACT show, the micro mobility sector seems essential for last mile (or even last half mile), where in cities like Denver, people are taking scooters waaaaay more than e-bikes. Is this short sighted? Maybe... My belief is better asset management on behalf of the providers to keep them maintained and placed well (so they don't take up the sidewalks from those that need it) can help with their reputations. Outright bans don't really allow for the program to be adjusted to meet market demands. Thoughts? https://lnkd.in/gnapxDQN

Madrid Joins Cities Banning Rental E-Scooters 🚫 Madrid’s recent ban on rental e-scooters raises important questions about the future of shared e-mobility in urban spaces. While e-scooters offer a sustainable travel alternative, concerns over user safety and responsible parking highlight a critical need for e-mobility companies to better align with city regulations. Urban mobility solutions can only thrive when they benefit both users and cities. As shared e-mobility evolves, collaboration between operators and policymakers will be essential for sustainable progress. Read more at the link below https://lnkd.in/gAF6Kikf #emobility #urbanplanning #sustainabletransport #publicsafety

Great to see more discourse on this topic coming through. In this case, Ferdinand Balfoort and Stephen Greaves discuss the importance of differentiating between shared and personal e-scooters 🛴 to ensure data-driven reporting of the benefits and burdens of specific classes of e-scooters 🛴. With 2030 fast approaching the five-year mark next year, we will all need to keep an eye on supporting initiatives that could significantly reduce transport emissions. Putting such initiatives into the "too hard" basket will not serve us well in achieving a lower emitting future for both ourselves and future generations. E-scooters, if integrated with Public Transport 🚌 🚎 🚉 could significantly reduce emissions on a per user basis. This is, of course, always subject to how well we deploy and monitor such technology solutions to avoid burdens and reap benefits. #greentransport #micromobility

E-scooters pose elevated safety risks. Cities reconsider their earlier open arms welcome to the innovative mobility tool As quickly as cities embraced and welcomed e-scooters, after just a year or two of experience—with elevated risks of injury and disruptions to both pedestrian and motorized traffic—cities like Melbourne are now rethinking their approach. In Melbourne's case, this has led to an outright ban on rental e-scooters. In the Netherlands, where biking culture is more dominant than anywhere else, the shift from human-powered to battery-powered bicycles and scooters has resulted in a significant increase in fatalities and injuries. In Canada, e-scooters arrived commercially later than in other places. Unless they are properly regulated, cities like Toronto and Mississauga may be forced to reconsider their acceptance of this otherwise innovative mode of mobility. A preferred approach is to regulate rental e-scooters than outright banning them. https://lnkd.in/dTkgDnsp

Some cities are rightfully pushing back against e-scooters. Many companies have failed to address the reckless behavior of riders, allowed scooters to clutter streets, and frequently increased prices. It’s hard for cities to view these companies as serving the public good when their focus seems solely on profits. To be clear, I believe e-scooters have a role in urban transportation, but these companies must improve how they operate within cities to ensure they contribute positively to the community. https://lnkd.in/eutqq3Ez

🚨 𝐕𝐨𝐢 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 🛴 With TIER Mobility Dott having already withdrawn from London, I feel like this didn't have the shock response or impact I would have thought, compared to say the whole discussion with Paris's referendum last year. 😧 Felt more of a collective shrug 🤷 considering how long it has been known about the commercial/technical difficulties with the trial, lack of loyal user base, rise of floating shared e-bike hire and ongoing success of Transport for London docked cycle hire scheme. ___________________________________________ 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 ❓ Fredrik Hjelm set out the options for Voi - withdraw or invest and deploy 20k e-bikes across London. But what options for Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and London, and how should it navigate to snatch victory from jaws of defeat? ___________________________________________ 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬, 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲-𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 ▶️ Accelerate its plans, announced a year ago, to explore the design of one coordinated future scheme for dockless e-bikes and e-scooters ▶️ As part of its LCHS tender, explore accelerated integration options for bringing its docked cycle scheme together with e-scooters ▶️ Think bigger - double down on the next phase of micromobility, support multiple forms and business models - for example prioritising micro-EVs, supporting private e-bikes, quadricles and i loved all these from London Cycling Campaign https://lnkd.in/ekEvvgud ___________________________________________ 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 Maybe Zag Daily Ben Hubbard could arrange a roundtable to solve the problem and it can be hosted by Lars Christian Grødem-Olsen (Mobility Consultant)!

Bolt South Africa has taken a significant step towards improving safety for its driver-partners by introducing a rider profile feature. This new feature allows riders to add a photo of themselves to their Bolt profile, which aims to ensure safer and more secure rides for both drivers and passengers. Enhancing Identification and Safety With the introduction of the rider profile photo feature, drivers can now view the rider’s photo during pick-up and throughout the trip. This additional identification step is crucial for ensuring that drivers pick up the correct person, thereby enhancing safety measures. In cases where incidents occur, this feature also helps in holding riders accountable for their actions. Click the link to read more: https://lnkd.in/dP8JWmmG #innovationvillage #bolt #safetyfeatures #ehailingservice #logistics #africabusiness #southafrica #appupdate #techtrends #techspace