That’s the thing with e-scooters. They were initially advertised as car replacements, as small, mobile helpers in climate protection, when instead of getting into the car, people use an app to locate a nearby e-scooter, unlock it and drive off with an e-drive in a completely climate-friendly manner. Parked at the destination, briefly uploaded the proof photo, no long search for a parking space, no parking fees and the travel costs are deducted from the account via mobile phone. That sounded pretty good at first.
Then more and more scooters ended up in rivers and bushes, people parked wildly on sidewalks and bike paths, and everyone was annoyed. When it also became apparent that scooters would not replace cars, but footpaths of all things, the reputation of climate helpers was completely ruined. It is somehow logical that Aschaffenburg has now decided not to allow e-scooters in the first place. According to the city council SPD, they would rather take other measures for a sustainable turnaround in traffic, continue the free bus Saturday.
Sounds reasonable after the miserable experiences of other cities. In addition, the parts are quite dangerous. If you drive over an obstacle at 20 km/h, you will quickly fall on your head: concussions and knocked-out front teeth included. And what about the Segway entrepreneur, a pioneer of standing scooters, as they were still called in 2010? At the age of 62, the man had a fatal accident – while driving a Segway of all things.
Nevertheless: Aschaffenburg is already a bit uncool for some due to the cancellation. The scooters themselves have never really become hip, you stand on them too stiffly and the brakes react too jerkily. But for young people it is a means of transport of the hour. Maybe that was in the back of your mind when the transport senate decided to have it checked whether station-bound scooters from the public utility company made sense. That’s how you could get at wild parkers, of course. But it is a bit short-sighted and the Senate does not appear to be particularly stringent when it argues with climate protection shortly beforehand. And: Fixed stations contradict the relaxed movement through and through.
A compromise could be how Nuremberg holds it. Scooters are not allowed to park in certain areas. If you try anyway, a fee will be charged. That draws. On the Pegnitz and in many corners of the old town, scooters are no longer in the way.