TIER and SLCs launch joint campaign to highlight parking etiquette
TIER, which describes itself as the world’s largest provider of shared micro-mobility, and London Sight Loss Councils’ (SLC) have today launched a joint campaign to highlight proper parking etiquette.
Together we are collaborating on a video and social media campaign to encourage shared e-scooter and e-bike users to park safely and correctly.
The videos show the impact that poor parking has on visually impaired people’s lives. They demonstrate how difficult it is for blind and partially sighted (BPS) to identify, and navigate, around a poorly parked e-scooter or e-bike. Throughout the campaign we are emphasising the importance of keeping pavements clear when parking a vehicle at the end of a ride.
The campaign is part of TIER’s broader range of activities dedicated to improving the accessibility of its service. It also forms part of our priority project to ensure streets are accessible so BPS people can navigate them independently and safely.
Watch the videos
Why is it important to highlight parking etiquette?
Haren Thillainathan, South West London SLC member, said:
“We believe everyone should be able to navigate our streets independently and safely, enabling them to live the lives they want to lead.
“We are proud of our joint work with TIER to help ensure everyone understands parking etiquette and the hazard abandoned e-scooters and e-bikes can pose. We will also continue our joint work to develop and test a universal acoustic e-scooter alert.
“Our ultimate goal, using our lived experience of sight loss, is to work with businesses and services to ensure our streets are accessible to all.”
Benjamin Bell, Senior Director at TIER, added:
“This is all part of our goal to safely blend shared micro-mobility into the urban landscape. Proper parking etiquette ensures people with sight loss don’t have to navigate around e-bikes or e-scooters blocking their path. Our long-standing partnership with Sight Loss Councils is built on the shared aim of boosting sustainable travel in a way that doesn’t harm the independence and safety of blind and partially sighted people.
“In parallel, with input from Sight Loss Councils, we are developing an acoustic vehicle alert for all shared e-scooters, so people can hear oncoming vehicles, and our Safety Board of independent experts meets quarterly to scrutinise our approach to safe and responsible operations.”
If you come across a poorly parked e-scooter or e-bike you can report it to TIER’s operations team in multiple ways. TIER bikes feature a QR code in the front basket which takes you to a chat window with the customer care team. Alternatively you can tweet Tier at @TIERUK_StPatrol or message them in the Help and Safety Section of the app or website.
Learn more about our #StreetsForAll campaign
About Sight Loss Councils
Sight Loss Councils are led by blind and partially sighted members and funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust. We advocate the needs of visually impaired people in our communities and work to improve access to goods and services at a local and national level.
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Publication date: 25 May 2023