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Electric scooters are set to revolutionize urban traffic. What happened is the opposite, everything became more complicated. This was the conclusion of a study by the ETH in 2022. It said that e-scooters would in no way mean that city dwellers would have to do without their cars. Moreover, their ecological balance is catastrophic, a ride on a scooter emits more CO2 then the same route by tram or bus.
Yesterday’s snow, says Zurich’s leading e-scooter provider: “The ETH calculated with data from the early days of the scooter wave,” says Swiss Voi boss Katharina Schlittler to SonntagsBlick.
At that time there were no replaceable batteries. Processes and technology have since been improved. The current model, the 30 kilo Voyager 5, is made entirely from recycled aluminum. The scooters are being repaired and refreshed in a workshop in Zurich-Altstetten: “In this way we can extend the life of the companions to five years.”
In Zurich, the vans used to collect and distribute the scooters are powered by natural electricity. A Voi scooter emits 29 grams of CO there2 per person-kilometre – ie approximately as many pollutants as a corresponding journey in public transport.
Schlittler also does not agree with the accusation that their offer is mainly used for fun rides. Research shows that 59 percent of Voi customers combine the e-scooter with a tram, bus or train ride.
Cowardly dealing with the authorities
However, the scooter situation in the city of Zurich is not as rosy as painting a new Voi scooter. This became clear last week from a walk by SonntagsBlick with Marionna Schlatter (42), chairman of Fussverkehr Schweiz: carelessly parked scooters blocked the sidewalks in the city centre, many users stood on the sidewalk despite the ban. One problem is the lax attitude of the authorities, said the Green National Council: Switzerland initially allows everything and often only regulates when it is too late. Marionna Schlatter advocates fixed parking spaces and owners’ liability. And if that doesn’t help, stop the exercise.
The chairman of the foot traffic receives support from the National Council of the SP and Pro-Velo chairman Matthias Aebischer (55). He understands that cities like Wetzikon ZH or Paris have decided not to rent e-scooters: “On the one hand, the e-scooters are everywhere and block the sidewalks, on the other hand, the inexperienced riders are a danger to all traffic .”
Mauro Tuena (51), National Councilor of the Zurich SVP, was often annoyed by scooters parked “headless”. He says: “You can’t avoid setting stricter rules for scooters.”
Zurich’s problems with e-scooters also affect other European cities. The recipes, on the other hand, are the same: reduction of the fleet, fixed parking spaces. For example, the city council in Brussels recently announced that it would reduce the number of commercial e-scooters from 21,000 to 8,000. From 2024, only two providers should be licensed.
And anyone who parks a scooter outside the designated zones will be fined. Similar or similar measures are also known in Oslo and Stockholm.
If you fail the reaction test, you must walk
In Zurich, five providers are vying for dominance in the scooter business and a sixth is in the starting blocks. For Voi boss Schlittler it is clear: “Zurich is too small for that.” Conflicts of use in the inner cities are taken seriously, illegal parkers and traffic offenders are helped with charm, better algorithms and free minutes. If you want to rent a Voi scooter at the weekend after 11 p.m., you have to pass a reaction test on the scooter’s display: if you don’t tap the pop-up helmet fast enough, you have to walk. But if you take the traffic school app or park your vehicle at one of the twelve parking stations, you get a few kilometers of scooter fun for free.
“Regulations are needed to enable peaceful coexistence,” says Katharina Schlittler. The boss of Voi Switzerland thinks it is right and important that the city prohibits parking on bridges or driving through the station hall. In fact, she would like a drastic change: if the city approved an e-scooter station every 100 meters on public land, Voi would support a station-based system in the city center.
There is then only free parking space in the outside area.
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
