There are currently more than 10,000 e-scooters in Munich. After electric scooters were allowed on the streets almost four and a half years ago, they quickly became a nuisance. The users of the rental vehicles from various providers often parked them wildly on sidewalks, so that they soon became dangerous obstacles – especially for people with visual and walking disabilities or parents with strollers.
For the center, i.e. the area within the old town ring, the city found a solution in 2022: e-scooters may and can only be parked within 40 specified parking zones. That has proven itself. The number of incorrectly parked scooters has drastically reduced, and walking has become safer again in the city center.
Now the green-red city council coalition wants to expand this rule. In the future, such parking spaces will be designated throughout the city, primarily within the Middle Ring.
In addition, the situation at train stations such as Ostbahnhof or in Moosach as well as in the Olympic Park should be better organized. The district committees and the disabled people’s advisory board of the city of Munich should have a say in the search for suitable parking spaces.
According to the joint application from the SPD/Volt and the Greens/Pink List, it should also be examined to what extent providers are obliged to take out liability insurance. In the event of an accident, the injured parties are often left with the costs because it is very difficult to clarify who is to blame.
In addition, the providers should ensure that they inform their customers “in an appropriate manner” how to park the scooters correctly. The administration should also check whether it can oblige providers to equip the scooters with acoustic warning signals to alert blind and visually impaired people to parked e-scooters.
It’s supposed to work like this: An app on the smartphone sends a signal to a scooter standing or lying on the sidewalk, which then emits an orientation sound. The signal becomes more intense the closer the person gets to the scooter. The warning should also work offline via Bluetooth. This system was introduced in Bremen at the end of last year.