TIER publishes UK Safety Board’s interim report on e-scooters
Sight Loss Councils and Thomas Pocklington Trust welcomes the interim report from TIER’s UK safety board.
The board meets quarterly to scrutinise TIER’s approach to safety and responsible operations, stress-test the business’ planned policies and features, explore best safety practice from other sectors, and advocate for new, industry-wide safety measures to mitigate the risks that e-scooters pose to cities.
Mike Bell Mike Bell, National Public Affairs Lead at Thomas Pocklington Trust, together with Sight Loss Council members have fed into this report in a drive to improve the safety standards for e-scooters.
In his forward Mike said: “Adopting micro-mobility transport solutions is part of the mix in addressing the climate emergency, but these cannot be at the expense of anyone in our society.
“At Thomas Pocklington Trust, for almost a year we have been collaborating with TIER on practical solutions that will not only help protect blind and partially sighted people and maintain their confidence and independence but ultimately set a standard for others to emulate.
“The introduction of silent, heavy and fast e-scooters represents a real danger to all pedestrians, but especially blind and partially sighted people.
“Conducting a nationwide survey and running focus groups to better understand concerns, we provided the essential link for TIER to engage directly with the groups that could be impacted negatively by their services.
“Undoubtedly, the most widely held concerns are that e-scooters can be and too often are ridden on pavements and their silent operation makes it difficult for blind and partially sighted people to detect them.
“Improving the visibility of e-scooter licence plates by using black text on yellow backgrounds, investing in technology and training to curb pavement riding, and co-developing a sound alert with partially sighted people, are measures taken by TIER following this essential engagement with disability groups and organisations.
“To see some other operators now following their lead is testament to TIER’s pioneering work in this area.”
The recommendations presented in the report call for Government legislation – or new city regulations where appropriate – and the requirement of micro-mobility operators to adopt higher standards that will secure a safer experience for everyone in our society.”
Publication date: 05 July 2021