The benefits of riding an e-scooter outweigh the criticism, says owner

Monday, 5 November 2018

After suffering with sickness an e-scooter has allowed Carol Girling to get back outside and walk her dog Toby.

A New Plymouth woman battling health problems has come to the support of maligned e-scooters for saving her life.

Carol Girling has been off work for six months after knee ligament damage, heart pain, and sudden episodes of breathlessness.

Stuck at home and unable to take her dog Toby on his daily walks, or potter around the house because of undiagnosed debilitating symptoms, Girling decided to buy an e-scooter.

It has been the best purchase she has made in many years.

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Now she wanted to add her weight behind the benefits of e-scooters which have come under a barrage of complaints from pedestrians in Auckland and Christchurch prompting authorities to legislate their use.

An e-scooter hire company - Californian-based Lime Scooters - has borne the brunt of much of the criticism.

The company launched in October with 900 scooters operating in Christchurch and Auckland and planned to double the number of e-scooters, which can reach speeds of 27kmh.

Girling uses her scooter to get out and walk her dog Toby.

To date there had been 66 claims to ACC for e-scooter related injuries, including collapsed lungs, fractures, bruises, head gashes and broken teeth.

'My e-scooter 100 per cent saved my life, it is marvellous for someone like me and I wouldn't like to see them banned,' Girling said.

'I got really low not being able to get out of the house because of my knee, heart pain and breathing problems.

'I used to be a grave digger and am used to physical work but I was getting out of breath just walking up steps - it felt as though I had run a marathon.

'Now I grab my helmet and glasses in a minute and off we go out the gate.'

Girling says a mobility scooter wouldn't work on her street.

After long research she chose an e-scooter as the best option to solve her mobility problems.

'I looked at a mobility scooter but I didn't think I was quite ready for one of those.

'I found mobility scooters are not well suited to where I live where there is only one footpath on one side of the road.

'On the other side of road there is a street sign in the middle of the footpath so it would be difficult to get around.

Girling also ruled out an e-bike because she would not have the energy to pedal.

She used the three-speed 300W battery powered e-scooter to do her shopping and take Toby for a walk at the same time.

It has a range of 20km depending on the steepness of the terrain, and a top speed of 25Kph.

'I toddle along at 10-11kph, that's fast enough otherwise it gets a bit scary,' she said.

Her car sat mostly idle in the garage and only used sparingly for longer shopping trips.

Girling said e-scooter riders need to be responsible and sensible.

'If the complaints about behaviour continue, then maybe the councils will have to bring in regulations like a speed limits.

'They are a lot of fun and I wouldn't like it get to the point where they are banned just because a couple of people are ruining it for others.'

New Plymouth retailer Ken Agar said e-scooters were coming into their own although sales were behind e-bikes which remained more popular because of their bigger kilometre range.

'It's an unknown market, there's a lot of pro's and con's,' he said.