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Tuesday 17 November 2020

The adults have left the council too



As part of Derby City Council's announcement that 50 e-scooters will be introduced to residents in the city centre, I was asked to give one a try...

As I drove around by the Silk Mill near the river, I felt the vehicle gradually slow down as the five miles-per-hour safety feature kicked in.

Using an in-built GPS tracking system, the scooter was forced to a slower speed as I entered the busier pedestrian area of the riverside foot path, making sure I wasn't a danger to anyone on their Friday evening stroll - or myself...

At the moment, Derby City Council is only planning to introduce 50 e-scooters to the city, with priority given to key workers.

I'm not sure who key workers are. Council official nipping out for a lunchtime sandwich perhaps. Meanwhile as reported only last year.

Derby’s electric bicycle scheme is to close for good after a recent surge of vandalism and increasing costs made it commercially unviable for the operator.

The scheme, introduced at the end of June 2018, saw more than 7,000 riders travel 150,000 miles since the launch.

The announcement comes after Derbyshire Live exclusively revealed in June that the vandalism had meant the scheme was being stopped while officials thought about how it could look in the future.

Some people haven't quite grasped how to learn from experience, but when it isn't your money you don't have to. As we know. 

4 comments:

wiggiatlarge said...

I'm not sure who key workers are.
The importance of 'key' workers is easily established, Hughie Green had the answer a Clapometer, we could have one in place at strategic points around towns so that when a government official decides another group being key demands applause we judge how much and react accordingly.

Sam Vega said...

Pilot studies have shown how a scooter is even more easily thrown into the Derwent than a bike.

Scrobs. said...

I guess that towns are places where such transport would be welcome, but living in the country, as we do, the problem with any cycling - or scootering, is the parlous state of the roads.

I tend to use our lanes as often as possible, but there will always be some 'herbert' in an old Focus, trying to beat his record on the rat-runs around here.

Even worse, is the regular thump on the wheels - and body, when all the drain covers are helpfully built an inch below the road's surface. A scooter would probably never survive a few of those...

Mind you, I paid for mine, so I don't count in the eyes of KCC!

A K Haart said...

Wiggia - or governments and local authorities could have a customer review system like Amazon where people review every new measure and those pushing it.

Sam - and they will be.

Scrobs - some Derbyshire lanes are very dangerous for cyclists because they are narrow with blind bends. Even if the herbert in an old Focus keeps his speed down, the danger is still there. I wouldn't cycle on them.