Coventry councillors warn parents about gifting E-Bikes this Christmas
Coventry councillors say parents need clearer warnings about the dangers of e-bikes and e-scooters before buying them as Christmas gifts
Coventry councillors say parents need clearer warnings about the dangers of e-bikes and e-scooters before buying them as Christmas gifts.
The matter was raised at a city council meeting this week when officers gave an update on a public spaces protection order (PSPO) banning e-bikes and e-scooters from parts of the pedestrianised city centre.
During the presentation, councillors were told that extra staff were being employed to tackle the issue but those on the scrutiny co-ordination committee insisted more needed to be done, particularly in the run-up to Christmas.
Cllr Gary Ridley said: “This is unusual because I think all of us around the table have had first hand experience of dealing with this problem. Personally I am sick and tired of walking out the front door of this building and nearly being run over. It is really concerning and I welcome what’s going on but I still think there is more that we need to do.
“I recognise how finite resources are but it is one of those things that does have an effect on people’s lives. At the end of the day I can jump out the way but there are people less agile or nimble than me who may not be able to do that and it puts them off going into the city centre. That is a tragedy in itself.”
Officers explained Coventry was not alone in having to deal with the problem of e-bikes and e-scooters speeding through pedestrianised areas and this was taken up by Cllr Lynnette Kelly who also called for a change in legislation. This would give the police greater powers when dealing with those riding illegally and would also allow a crackdown on sales.
She said: “You should not be able to buy a scooter that goes above the maximum speed that the government has laid down and it should be an offence to sell them if they go over 15 mph. We have had this before with the Zombie knives and were told that nothing could be done about it. But something was eventually done and they have now stopped selling them.
“We need a campaign of information because parents will be buying these for their kids without realising that they are too fast and dangerous. Some of these are getting modified so that they can do 30 or 40 mph. We need more legislation so that police have greater powers. We need the government at a national level to control these things.”
Cllr Ridley added: “Fifty years years ago, there were some people who thought it socially acceptable to drink alcohol and drive. They knew it was illegal but at some level thought it was OK. We need an advertising campaign saying that it is socially unacceptable in the same way that we had with drink/driving and in the same way we had with mobile phone use while driving.
“The social aspect is so important. We need to go into schools and teach kids why they shouldn’t do this and it is important that companies like Deliveroo and Just Eat are held to account.”