Beam scooters have left Whangārei.
A couple of announcements over the past few weeks raised eyebrows about pedestrian issues in Whangārei.
Firstly, there’s the disappearance from Whangārei streets of Beam e-scooters, those electrified purple skateboards with handlebars that quickly populated our streets four years ago.
In fact, Beam e-scooters have disappeared completely from New Zealand.
Then there was a sort of announcement last week that the high-profile pedestrian crossing on State Highway 1 at the Ōtaika shops would be controlled by traffic lights.
The announcement that NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is finalising the design and costs for this crossing is welcome news for those community members and organisations who have long advocated for a safety solution to the pedestrian risks.
But that announcement hasn’t been without cautionary comment from road users.
This is a busy state highway and indiscriminate and incessant pushing of the pedestrian button to stop traffic both ways will have some congestion outcomes.
However, upping the ante with a controlled pedestrian crossing reinforces the notion that the pedestrians rule and have absolute right of way on footpaths as well as at pedestrian crossings.
There has also been the suggestion that the ideal solution might be a pedestrian overbridge at this crossing point. Really, that suggestion doesn’t warrant serious consideration.
Pedestrian over-bridges take pedestrians away from the traffic, but in a practical sense, these street structures are much more expensive, take up much more space and require pedestrians and other footpath users to climb and descend steep steps.
These are particularly challenging for people with disabilities, children, the elderly and anyone carrying goods.
There have been some studies that suggest the existence of pedestrian overbridges gives drivers permission to drive faster and become less mindful of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users.
So, the installation of traffic lights at the Ōtaika pedestrian crossing seems like a smart solution and embeds safe road use for all road users.
The disappearance of Beam e-scooters from Whangārei creates an interesting conundrum for people who want the reduced use of cars and increased use of public transport, walking, cycling and scooters.
Beam Scooters is a Singapore-based company that brought its publicly shared, purple e-scooters to Whangārei in December 2021. As a means of getting around quickly and conveniently, they have added an extra dimension to public mobility, most particularly with younger people, but there have been some issues.
The thing about e-scooters is that they are quiet, fast, convenient and largely unregulated.
The only regulations are that they have a footboard, two or three wheels, a long steering handle, wheels not exceeding 355mm, one or more electric propulsion units and a maximum power not exceeding 300W.
You don’t need a licence to ride them, they can be used on the road or footpath (but not in a cycle lane) and riders are not required to use a helmet.
The Minister of Transport, Chris Bishop, recently announced proposed changes to transport laws which will make some regulations better align with reality.
Specifically, the laws will allow the use of e-scooters in bike lanes, children to bike on the footpath and cars will be required to give way to merging buses.
It is fair to say that these e-scooters have been something of a phenomenon in creating fast, convenient transport over the past few years.
The accident rate and reporting of injuries is confronting, with more than 7000 ACC claims, from both users and victims in a two-year period which, at a 37% increase over previous years, is a concern.
While Bishop has approved a further five-year exemption for e-scooters as a non-powered motor vehicle, there is clearly a need to tighten things up about their use.
There needs to be a lower speed limit in high pedestrian areas, mandatory helmet use, regulations relating to alcohol limits and cellphone use while riding, and clear safety rules around their use at night.
These new initiatives and regulations reinforce the notion that pedestrians have all the rules on their side. Making our roading system safer for pedestrians has got to be good for making our roads safer.