They were launched in a blaze of publicity last year and hailed as the eco-friendly alternative for Salford, but now Lime e-scooters are being blamed for causing a hazard on the pavement.
Campaigners claim the electric vehicles are often dumped on pavements, leaving pedestrians and wheelchair users at risk. They also said children are often spotted riding around on them illegally, as users have to be over 18.
The group, known as Walk Ride Salford Central, met with city councillors at a ‘Walk and Talk’ event to highlight areas of concern for pedestrians, such as Sat navigation systems, unlit streets, and increased levels of pollution too.
Event organiser Harry Gray said it was essential all pedestrians were able to use the pavements safely, and he said more guidance was needed to encourage the correct use of alternative forms of transport such as E-scooters.
He said: “I love Lime E-Scooters, I think they’re great, but not when they’re thrown all over the place.”
He said riders were often parking the scooters correctly, but then they were being pushed into the middle of the pavement by riders and children, before they automatically locked becoming a hazard.
City Councillors were also told Sat Nav systems were causing havoc on local residential streets across the city.
John Townsend from the group said: “In the last 10 years, nationally, we’ve seen a massive growth in traffic on residential streets, it seems to be because people are using apps and it sends them down the back streets. There is a massive problem there and of course that means danger on the roads and more pollution on the streets.”
One area highlighted by Walk Ride Salford Central as a positive example of reducing traffic pollution was Saint Phillips Square in Blackfriars, where only residents are allowed to use cars, and councillors were urged to roll out the scheme elsewhere.
Mr Townsend said: “I think this is a really good example of what you can do in urban areas with great public transport connectivity, you can do this really great pedestrian environment with trees, places to sit, really nice paving and I just think this is one of the best examples in the country at the moment.”
Several candidates for the upcoming Blackfriars and Trinity by- election on November 4 attended the Walk and Talk, getting the opportunity to not only hear Salford residents’ concerns but to also share their own ideas.
Labour candidate, Rosie Wain said: “We’re bringing in more walking and cycling lanes, even like little things, if you go up near the Blackfriars pub, beside the road there’s little gardens, I love it, I’d love that everywhere.”
Labour Councillor for The Quays and current Salford walking and cycling champion, Jake Rowland, said local residents were facing many challenges.
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