Dubai residents ask to ban electric scooters

Following the ban on the use of electric scooters and electric bicycles in Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR), residents of other areas of the emirate have asked the authorities to introduce a similar ban in residential areas.

Many people have expressed concern about the reckless driving of scooters, systematic violation of speed limits and other traffic rules.

A resident of the Dubai Marina neighbourhood said that walking used to be very convenient and safe: “I used to run and walk every day. But now it’s impossible – reckless electric scooter drivers are everywhere and they drive at incredible speeds.” She said the presence of scooter riders on the Dubai Marina promenade has made the area dangerous for pedestrians as well as the drivers themselves.

A former Palm Jumeirah resident who moved to Abu Dhabi also shares the concerns, “The main problem is that I don’t see the responsibility of electric scooter drivers to either pedestrians or cars. They use the footpaths and when the red light comes on, they don’t stop and just drive out onto the carriageway. Their speed on the footpaths is also high and I had to dodge them all the time to avoid injury.”

Despite authorities introducing a raft of rules for scooter drivers, four people died in accidents involving electric scooters and electric bikes in the first half of this year. Police have also recorded 25 cases of injuries of varying degrees of severity in such accidents.

Source: Khaleej Times