Editorial: Making the most of micro-mobility

E-scooters are increasingly a common way to get around. Photo / Michael Cunningham

EDITORIAL

Like them or not, e-scooters will be fixtures on our streets and footpaths for a long time to come.

Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency has renewed e-scooters’ exemption from being classed as motor vehicles for another five years.

Some of the concerns about e-scooters in the past have been dealt with or found to be overstated.

But, as with cyclists, riders will continue to sometimes unnerve pedestrians and suffer injuries themselves.

On the whole, people have become more used to them and the concept of sharing transport space. The more safe cycleways and footpath lanes there are, the smoother the experience will be.

Without a doubt, e-scooters and e-bikes are modes of getting around that have to be encouraged. It’s best to consider the benefits of electric “micro-mobility” and how they can be enhanced.

Any journey around towns that can be achieved through the operation of a scooter, bike or EV instead of a fuel-powered vehicle is good for reducing emissions and improving air quality, and is cheaper in terms of costs.

There was reference to “range anxiety” over EV charging stations in both leaders’ debates and whether infrastructure or price discounts were better at luring people to buy electric cars. It shouldn’t be an either/or.

Better parking/storage infrastructure for e-scooters and bikes might encourage more use. Subsidies might tempt more buying rather than renting.

There’s surely a market for more mini, e-powered vehicles with storage capacity that can get people to work or shops without being blasted by rain and wind.

They would go global.