Further regulation over e-scooters called for

E-scooters have been available in the city of Zug for three months now, the municipalities of Cham and Baar duly joining in the scheme a short time afterwards. The idea behind the service provided by the Circ company was that members of the public could make use of such an e-scooter via app and leave them at a responsible place, locking it with the app.

However, locals have frequently complained about e-scooters just left after being used, many residents fearing chaos such as has been evident in Paris. One other aspect they mention is the potential danger, not least after a drunk e-scooter user was seriously injured after he recently fell from one on Talacherstrasse in Baar.

The police, too, have been receiving a number of complaints for the public about dangerous situations arising with people on “e-Trotinettes” or “e-Trotties”, as they are called, not least with users who fail to adhere to traffic regulations. “We have heard of cases where collisions occur between people using e.scooters and pedestrians on pavements, where their use is forbidden,” said police spokeswoman Judith Aklin, who added that pedestrians could not hear the e-scooters approaching. In law, e-scooters are regarded as bicycles, i.e. they should be ridden on the road or cycle paths, where these are available, not the pavement. Then it has been noticed that more than one person has been seen on an e-scooter, whereas only one person is allowed.

It was in June that the police published the regulations for the use of e-scooters, though they have been turning a blind eye to offences. However, in future, where regulations are not adhered to, users will be fined accordingly, police now more alert to offenders. Of note is that no statistics are kept with regard to offences in connection with e-scooters.

In all, there are some 150 e-scooters offered for hire in the three afore-mentioned municipalities, with the authorities in Zug and Cham mainly satisfied with the service. However, this is not the case in Baar, where people have been perturbed about the potential for accidents, not least in the way they are just left anywhere after being used. As Zari Zdaferi, who is responsible for safety matters in the municipality, said, the abandoned e-scooters also impair the work of the maintenance staff. “It appears they are not regularly collected,” he said, adding how he had already raised the matter with the council and was preparing to address the providers about it. “There needs to be clear regulation and defined areas where they may be left,” he insisted.

Urs Raschle, the councillor responsible for such safety matters in the city of Zug, said consideration was being given to fixed parking areas for e.scooters, the SBB having already provided such at the station. The Circ company is actually obliged to collect abandoned e.scooters within 24 hours, otherwise the council will remove them. Of course, having fixed places where they should be left contradicts the “free-floating system” intended. It was made known the city had set up a website relating to the regulations pertaining to proper e-scooter use, the telephone number of Circ also published, should abandoned scooters be causing a nuisance. Of note is that Nextbike is to start its service offering e.bikes on a free-floating basis this month.

Over in Cham, Drin Alaj, the head of the Department of Transport and Safety there, said that he had had positive feedback about the provision of e-scooter hire, particularly from young people. Furthermore, he had not noticed an increase in e-scooter-related accidents and felt the provision of such a service was a welcome addition to public transport, hence the municipality’s willingness to test the service for one year.

In Zurich the authorities there have ordered companies offering e-scooters to ensure the vehicles meet standards for use on roads, Circ having already done so. With accidents having occurred with this form of transport in Zurich and Winterthur, the police have since brought out an accident prevention video. In Basel courses in e-scootering are to be made available from next year, while Bern sees no grounds to act at present.