Safety concerns raised over e-scooters

Concerns have been raised over ‘faulty brakes’ and poor maintenance of the Zwings electric scooters which are being trialled in Gloucestershire.

Civic leaders say the maintenance standards of the e-scooters have slipped and some of their brakes are “faulty to the point of being unsafe”.

Gloucestershire County Council is currently taking part in a Department for Transport trial of e-scooters to gather evidence about their use and whether to change the legal status of these vehicles.

E-scooters are currently illegal to use on the public highway, although this has been suspended for e-scooters that are part of the trial in Cheltenham and Gloucester.

But Cheltenham Borough Councillor Max Wilkinson says the e-scooters, which were well maintained at the start of the trial, now look “tired and shabby”.

He has called on the county council to urge Zwings to improve the standards of its fleet maintenance. He would also like to see a tougher approach in enforcement against pavement riding.

“The e-scooter trial has now been running for longer than two years. I am not a stick-in-the mud and I do not oppose change, but I feel I must write to you out of concern about the Zwings e-scooter trial.

“In the early days, the scooters were well-maintained, parking places were clearly marked and regular stakeholder updates were given. Those standards have slipped,” he said in a letter to the council.

“The scooters now look tired and shabby. Standards of maintenance also seem to have slipped and people report that levels of charge are often low. The last scooter I hired had brakes that were faulty to the point of being unsafe.

“Indeed, one of the brakes stopped working during the ride, this problem was compounded by the fact there was no clear way to report the fault via the Zwings app. My personal experience is matched by that of others who have reported similar concerns.

“You will be aware that the DfT’s report in December details significant safety concerns around this form of transport, mostly from disabled people and families who suffer from the scooters being used on pavements.

“This concern is worsened by the apparent lack of willingness of police to issue penalties to riders who break the rules by scooting on the pavement.

“The standards of maintenance and the refusal of the police to enforce rules against pavement use, have brought the value of this trial into question.

“I would like to formally request that the county council makes contact with Zwings to pass on the concerns of Cheltenham people and urge them to improve standards of fleet maintenance.

“I would also welcome your support in seeking a more assertive approach to enforcement by police officers against pavement riding.”
Environment and planning cabinet member David Gray (C, Winchcombe and Woodmancote) said he was sorry to hear that some members of the public have experienced difficulties.

Since the council started the Department for Transport trial of e-Scooters in Cheltenham and Gloucester over 320,000 rides have been made, he said.

“There are now over 300 Zwings e-scooters in use, helping people with everyday tasks such as getting to work, education and shops.

“We have an excellent track record of safety in Gloucestershire and fortunately very few complaints about the condition of e-scooters.

“Users can report faults by email at escooters@gloucestershire.gov.uk and on the Zwings and council websites. Our contract requires Zwings to de-activate faulty e-scooters immediately to prevent further use.

“Zwings are involved in the day to day management of the scheme including all issues around maintenance and upkeep of e-scooters including brakes and batteries.

“Since August 2022 the council has received two email complaints, neither of which related to vehicle condition.

“However we take all complaints seriously and are liaising with Zwings about maintenance standards and with the Police about pavement riding.”
Zwings has not responded to requests for comment.

By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk