Dedicated parking racks for e-scooters have been rolled out across Nottingham following safety concerns and calls for the scrapping of the scheme. The new racks have been placed in 10 different areas of the city, including Nottingham Railway Station, to make pavements safer.
Superpedestrian, which took over from WIND, says it has teamed up with a Swedish design company called Standab that specialises in "micro-mobility infrastructure solutions". The company has design the parking stations alongside the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to ensure the racks will help partially-sighted pedestrians navigate their surroundings.
The side panels also feature safety advice and riding rules to encourage positive user behaviour, the company says. The parking stations come as charitable groups continue to raise concerns over the e-scooters.
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Sarah Leadbetter, who uses a guide dog and is the national campaigns officer for the National Federation of the Blind of the UK, demonstrated the problems she faces in the city by filming a stroll along a number of busy streets. "The service is not safe for blind and visually impaired, disabled and vulnerable pedestrians," she said. "Blocking pavements and access to bus stops is simply not safe."
It is hoped the new parking stations will go some way to remedy these problems. Haya Verwoord Douidri, vice president at Superpedestrian, said: “Shared e-scooters are an increasingly-popular transport choice for a more sustainable future.
"However, even considerately-parked e-scooters can take up too much room on Britain’s already-crowded pavements.
"That’s why we’re piloting these unique parking stations, which we hope will encourage more users to end their rides at our hubs rather than elsewhere. If the stations work as intended, we’ll bring many more to Nottingham and to our other markets.
"The stations in Nottingham are the latest addition to the safety improvements we’ve been making since our involvement in Nottingham, which already include six full-time parking patrollers and a full-time community engagement and safety manager.”
E-scooter riders can now use the NCTX Buses app to explore a map of the city online and plan their journey, while also finding scooters that are available to rent once you get off a bus. The company says it continues to aim to make the scheme safer.
Councillor Audra Wynter, portfolio holder for transport at Nottingham City Council, added: “Throughout this e-scooter trial we’ve been really keen to listen carefully to feedback from the public about how we can potentially improve things.
"We really welcome the introduction of these docking stations as they will help to bring more order to e-scooter parking and keep pavements clear for all pedestrians.”
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