E-scooter rentals have exploded, where Lime, Bird, Bolt and others have made it incredibly simple to rent-and-go. E-scooters have also become a scourge as many riders don’t abide by traffic laws, go too fast, and feel justified to leave them wherever they want. South Park lampoons this in The Scoots episode where the e-scooters are gathered up and removed from town, only to magically reappear the next morning.
Vilnius, Lithuania encourages e-scooter usage and had published rules – no longer accessible – and apparently has designated drop-off locations when you’re finished, similar to designed car and motorcycle parking. My question is enforcement: does Vilnius remove improperly parked e-scooters and require the vendor to pay a fine before releasing the e-scooter back into the wild? Are fines paid by the renter? Or is it just Vilnius’ fantasy that renters are paying attention?
However, this is less of the problem than e-scooter riders flaunting safety and traffic rules. Bolt states Follow the traffic rules. Use bike lanes and wear a helmet to stay safe when riding. Uh huh, how’s that going ….
