‘E-scooter trial must be stopped’
CHARITY: TYRES AND HELMETS IN ‘SHOCKING STATE’
NOTTINGHAM’S yellow e-scooter trial should end because of the “shocking state” of its helmets and tyres, a charity claims.
The National Federation of the Blind carried out a UK investigation into the vehicles which has been sent to Nottingham City Council .
It was conducted by Sarah Gayton, the charity’s street access campaigns co-ordinator, who said the organisation has been against the scooters “from day one” and now wants the trial stopped.
She added: “We are quite aware of the number of accidents that happened and we know they are a problem.
“I was interested to see what state the e-scooters are in and was really shocked at what I found.
“I focused on the city centre and I was really shocked to see the safety measures.”
Her photographs show the “shocking state” of the e-scooters with torn tyres, dented and split helmets and missing ID plates.
Ms Gayton added: “I got frightened in the city centre because people were parking them on the pavement and riding them really fast
“I just could not get over it – the tyres are not just worn out but some are actually physically worn down to the cord and to the next layer.
“I found five that were in the same shocking state.
“The damage is really evident.” The investigation on August 30 found that 25 out of 64 e-scooters seen had tyres that were “not fit for purpose”, while 16 of them had no ID plates on the back wheel.
No less than 58 helmets observed had damage ranging from being cracked and split, to severely dented helmets, to scratches and cracks in the foam material, the report says.
Two of the e-scooters observed had no helmets at all.
Ms Gayton added: “I just got mad – this is crazy.
“They are all bad – bits and pieces broken left, right and centre.
“It is just shocking – the state of them is really bad and the evidence shows itself.
“Anyone can see that this is a problem
“The tyres are not fit for purpose. They should be off the street.”
E-scooter provider Wind has reassured the public it is taking measures to maintain safety and prevent incidents.
According to the company, the provision of number plates and helmets is a voluntary measure taken by Wind to enhance safety.
A spokesperson for Wind added: “Wind is taking the concerns seriously.
“However, we strongly contradict the organisation’s assessment that Wind e-scooters are not safe to use.
“Wind currently has 700 e-scooters on the streets in Nottingham and conducts regular maintenance of the entire fleet. All vehicles that are currently on the road in Nottingham are safe to use.
“We encourage users and others to report any observed damages directly to us so that we can collect the scooters and conduct the appropriate maintenance.
“Upon every battery swap or fleet re-distribution and every time our local staff comes in contact with one of our scooters (every one to two days), Wind’s vehicles are checked and each scooter undergoes a thorough maintenance inspection every few weeks. Scooters with any damages will be collected by our teams immediately.
“Please note that the provision of number plates and helmets is a voluntary measure undertaken by Wind in order to further enhance the safety of the trial scheme.
“Helmets and number plates are not required by UK law. Any broken helmets/missing plates will be exchanged for new ones as soon as any damages are detected.
“The Wind e-scooter also uses a software analysis system that continuously scans the vehicle for any faults and malfunctions.
“Should the software detect any fault, it will disable the scooter automatically and it will no longer be available for use. Our maintenance team will then collect the scooter and perform the necessary repairs.
“We also replace number plates, reflectors and any other parts of the scooter when missing.
“Tyres are also checked and repaired or replaced if necessary and Wind uses foam-filled tyres that cannot burst.”
Wind, which is a micro-mobility transport company based in Berlin and Barcelona, is currently operating a 12-month trial scheme in Nottingham.
Nottingham City Council was approached for comment.