cyclists and pedestrians are fighting back against the competition by electric scooter. This should soon roll through Berlin and other cities – at the wheel – and footpaths. The corresponding regulation can occur “probably in the spring of 2019 in power,” confirmed the German Federal Ministry of transport on request.
the new vehicle category was introduced “small electric vehicles”. Include your E-vehicles with steering or retaining rod, such as electric stand-up scooters, which run between 12 and 20 km/h, with a maximum of four wheels and 50 kilograms are allowed to weigh-in. According to the plans, you may be in the future, driven with a Moped licence and insurance number plate on the bike path – where no cycle path is also on the road. The draft for the new regulation. “The future potential of the micro-mobility can be used while ensuring safety,” said the Ministry.
The representatives of cyclists and pedestrians. They fear mass conflicts and accidents. Germany’s largest Bicycle Association ADFC can imagine the E-Scooter for the “last mile” of the S-Bahn to the office. He wants you to accept on bike paths, but only if the Minister of transport, Andreas Scheuer, in turn, “hundreds of thousands of kilometers of new bike paths” build. “The existing bike trails are not enough time for the safe handling of Cycling,” said ADFC chief Executive Burkhard Stork. “You are not prepared for a wave of new E-vehicles.” Storck feared from 2019, “very ugly scenes and mass accidents”.
“A new Form of mobility”
Also in the Berlin Senate transport management sees the new ambivalent. The E-vehicles are, in principle, welcomed as “a new Form of mobility”. However, when a larger amount is expected to “use conflicts” with cyclists. The Senate have indicated to the Ministry that “bike trails need, especially in large cities, then more space,” said spokeswoman Dorothee Winden. Guidelines for design and construction of bike paths would have to be in the case of an approval, “adjusted upwards”.
rebel But also the pedestrian against the Ministry of transport. Because by the way of the breaking of a taboo: for the First time, motor vehicles are allowed on sidewalks, drive – despite the explicitly contrary, the recommendation of the Federal office for roads (BASt). So far, only scooters and Skateboards without a Motor, skates, and children are allowed bicycles on sidewalks, except for electric wheelchairs.
local authorities should it be by regulation in the future is possible, and also sidewalks for the E-vehicles free – with the sign “Free for electric micro-vehicles”. The draft regulation provides, even in a lump sum, the exception permits “in General, for certain applicants”, for example, for “city tours with a miniature electric vehicles in pedestrian zones.” An exception for tourist E-scooter on sidewalks, according to the Association FOOT “not employable”. It is to be feared that other E-scooter lawn in large numbers illegally on İllegal Bahis the sidewalks. The experiences with cyclists on sidewalks show that this is not going virtually unpunished.
insurers and accident researchers warn of accidents
Also, the insurer and the accident researchers warn of accidents due to the silent E-scooter, which would be perceived by the visually impaired and hearing impaired people. “The purpose, so that the Bridging of the last mile, do not justify any means,” said Siegfried Brockmann, head of accident research of the insurers, in the “mirror”.
Nevertheless, the Ministry of transport is planning a smaller, “self-balancing” electric vehicles exclusively for the pavement to allow about E-Skateboards, electric unicycles and so called hover boards. On a small request of the Greens, the Federal government said in late November that it was considering “options, whether or not electric micro-vehicles without steering in the public road can be used”.
The Ministry wants to investigate the “in the context of a research project”. “Immediately” after approval for large E-scooters on bike paths “will be brought to face a lot of new devices without steering, such as hover boards, in traffic, in order to create this, also the appropriate legal framework,” said the Ministry on request. More concretely, the Ministry has not been, in spite of repeated demand.
Where you “put into circulation”, however, in the draft bill. As it is, E-vehicles up to 12 km/h without any steering should “to the Bicycle infrastructure, the flow of traffic do not disturb”. Therefore, you will have to ride on sidewalks. The BASt has created the category of “K0” – it is recommended, however, clearly, this is not to admit, “because these are not suitable due to the low speed for operation on the roadway or on Bicycle paths, and due to the potential for Conflict with the pedestrian traffic may not be for the operation on the sidewalk are suitable”.
The Ministry of transport ignored this, apparently, according to the “mirror” of pressure from the Minister, Andreas Scheuer (CSU). Therefore, a special permit for E-Boards on pavements in a two-year test phase is planned. The Ministry denied on request.
“attack on the basic mobility of citizens”
as a result, it will not sacrifice the safety of millions of pedestrians from the Commercializing pressures of the “E-Lobby”, warns the FOOT: “This leads to accidents for sure, because you have to perform Experiments.” The Ministry will take the apparently “condone”, wool pedestrians to downgrade is “experimental rabbit”. So the path for other vehicles on the sidewalk, such as robotic Delivery. The “no transport of technical progress, but an attack on the basic mobility of the citizens”.
Berlin’s transport management provides a walkway approval “for reasons of traffic safety for pedestrians is very critical,” said spokeswoman Dorothee Winden. “The sidewalk is for pedestrians. In particular, for the elderly, children, or Blind, make hover boards on the sidewalk, there is a risk of an accident.“ The E-advocates see it differently, who want to demonstrate for the legalization of E-Boards, and against the “unnecessary over-regulation” of the scooter, such as a driver’s License in Berlin on Thursday.
“Highly problematic” FOOT in the settlement that the E-should be parked scooters “bicycles” – on the sidewalk. In the draft bill, relating to the grounds that it is “in Park space to a scarce Good”. It could not be tolerated “” the electric micro-vehicles increased the Parking pressure. Instead, now the pressure is on, the walkways would be further increased, complained the FOOT, although it had been increasingly under the increased number of wheels and the gastronomy.
The Bicycle and pedestrian associations also see a flood of Sharing-to get scooter analog bikes on their trails. In other countries there is the, what sometimes leads to strong conflicts. The Ministry assumes in its forecast of 30,000 to 150,000 electric micro-vehicles in Germany, of which 20 percent commercial. Provider of Mietrollern such as Lime are already in the starting blocks. The walkway would be “more to a free Playground for private business,” warns FOOT. “It would devalue as a public space.”
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electric scooters are booming Rolls with me!
Laura Hofmann, Stefan Jacobs,
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