Wellington councillor wants e-scooters banned from footpaths

A Wellington City councillor says she wants electric scooters banned from city footpaths before she will support a move to lower speed limits in the central business district.

Stuff reports that city councillor Nicola Young says it was remarkable people were allowed to ride the electric-powered vehicles almost anywhere across Wellington at the expense of pedestrian safety.

Young told Stuff that Wellington has barely any regulations unlike many overseas cities which have strict regulations on the use of e-scooters. She likened it to “Cowboy Times”.

Wellington council is proposing to lower speed limits to 30km/h on all streets within the central business district excepting the waterfront quays and main roads but there are no provisions in the document for e-scooter use.

“If this is the way of getting e-scooters off the footpaths, then I will give you my full support. But there’s nothing in here about getting them off the footpaths,” says Young.

The Wellington City Council has received more than 7000 submission from a public survey on e-scooter use which closed on February 2. Feedback from this will be presented as part of a review on the e-scooter trial to be presented on April 9.