Rental e-scooters are often found everywhere in Innsbruck on sidewalks, paths and in front of house entrances. One recently happened to a blind woman. She fell and was seriously injured. The Tyrolean Blind Association is now sounding the alarm and calling for stricter requirements or a ban.
An orphaned e-scooter in the middle of the sidewalk, not far from the headquarters of the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Tyrol (BSVT) on Amraser Straße. A dangerous stumbling block that recently proved fatal for a blind woman. The pedestrian fell and was seriously injured.
Stricter rules or a ban were necessary
“That’s enough now!”, says BSVT chairman Sabine Karrer in the “Krone” interview, determined not to let the issue rest any longer. The association for the blind is demanding significantly stricter rules from the city council or a ban on the rental of e-scooters. In this issue, the interests are not only represented by the visually impaired, but also by many citizens: “Elderly people, mothers with children, people with walking difficulties,” Karrer lists a few.
The comparison with Vienna “gives little hope”
By strict rules, the Association of Visually Impaired people refers to specific fixed rental and return stations, as is the case with city bicycles. According to Karrer, simply tightening current parking requirements is not enough. The chairman points to the example of Vienna, where parking on sidewalks was banned this year: “Many users simply do not comply. Since July, 7,500 fines have had to be issued for incorrectly parked e-scooters.” Karrer has little hope that things would improve in Innsbruck. Here too, the recent tightenings have not brought any improvement.
In general, there is a lack of effective controls. “At the moment, even violations of the applicable requirements are not consistently punished,” says the association chairman angrily. If it had its way, Innsbruck would follow the path of Paris, Salzburg or Graz and ban rental scooters from the city.
The Round Table must finally find a solution
The Association for the Visually Impaired organized a round table on Thursday, bringing together politicians, police, representatives of organizations for the disabled and rental companies. “We need a solution so that sidewalks can be used safely by everyone again,” says Karrer, hoping for political support. It seems to be getting bigger. The SPÖ is in favor of a rental ban. Other parties such as ÖVP, FPÖ and the Fritz List are in favor of stricter rules.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
