The era of breakneck growth for electric scooter firms is giving way to more selective expansion focused on profits as they face tougher regulations, more demanding customers and wary insurers.
Why isn t safety training compulsory? There is no legal requirement for compulsory safety training. Safety is a top priority for Voi and Southampton City Council and though the training is not a requirement from the DfT, we encourage and reward users with free helmets and credits that they can use on rides. So far, over half a million people have completed the RideLikeVoila online school globally - the first e-scooter traffic school. Voi offers regular online and in-person safety training to riders in Southampton with the next in-person event on Friday 9 July. Furthermore, e-scooters are classified as motor vehicles and as such riders need to be responsible and follow the rules the same way they do if riding a motorcycle or driving a car.
SOUTHAMPTON residents have voiced their frustration at “dangerous” e-scooters whizzing around the city. Elderly people and children could be in danger from the vehicles which are being trialled in the city by the council, says Shirley man, Tony Weafer. In one incident, the 68-year-old confronted a e-scooter rider for illegally riding on the pavement in Shirley Road, before receiving the chilling threat of: “Do you wanna get stabbed?” Rules on the council’s website tell users ‘do not ride on pavements’. The e-scooter trial between the authority and Voi Scooters runs until November, and riders must be at least 18 years old and have a driving licence to use one.
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