Man on mobility scooter takes on Auckland’s Greenlane roundabout at rush hour

A man on a mobility scooter, braving the wild weather and the unruly traffic, has been caught on video taking on one of Auckland’s most notorious roundabouts.

Video supplied to the Herald shows the man, dubbed a “thug life koro”, travelling across the Ellerslie roundabout over the Southern Motorway.

The witness said he was holding up traffic but described him as “a legend”.

The short video shows the man carefully – and slowly – entering the roundabout from the west, heading towards the Ellerslie Racecourse and Ascot Hospital.

His scooter was trailing an orange flag for safety. Traffic slowed behind him or was forced to go around, but “koro” ploughed on.

According to the New Zealand Transport Agency website, mobility devices may be ridden legally on the road.

“Under traffic law, mobility devices are vehicles designed and constructed for people needing help with mobility because of physical or neurological impairment, and are powered solely by a motor of up to 1500 watts.”

A driver’s licence isn’t needed but users are warned that they must “keep as close as possible to the edge of the roadway” and “mobility vehicles are light and offer you no protection”.

A police spokesperson told the Herald while they haven’t received any reports, they are concerned about the danger of the driver’s decision-making.

“Police have been made aware of a person using a mobility scooter on a busy Auckland City East roundabout this morning.

“While, at this stage, Police have not received a report of the incident, we are concerned about the danger posed to the individual and other road users.We will be making follow up enquiries.”

The video is the latest in a series of videos of scooters taking over the roads.

In 2019, a bizarre pursuit was captured on video showing a police car chasing a man on a mobility scooter in Timaru.

The scooter was seen weaving in and out of traffic in a very low-speed chase by a police car with flashing lights.

The video ended with the chasing police officer forcing the scooter down a driveway before an officer continued the pursuit on foot.

Commenters were quick to see the funny side of the chase, with one man writing on Facebook: “Bet he gave the [coppers] an earful when they caught up with him. Send it, Grandad.”