Oxford parking bays for e-scooters 'take up pavement space'

Last week members of the association questioned The Store hotel's decision to place tables on the pavement, close to its Broad Street entrance.

Now it is criticising e-scooter hire company Voi for introducing new parking bays around e-scooters.

READ MORE: Field fire spreads from combine harvester 

The new bays appeared in March and the pedestrians association chairman Sushila Dhall is now renewing her suggestion that e-scooter parking bays should take up road space instead.

Ms Dhall said: "When it is pavements that are taken from pavement users there is nothing; no warning, no consultation.

"The e-scooter fencing, like the e-scooters, just appeared without notice, meaning pedestrians have to put up with less space.

"This gives the impression that pedestrians are at the bottom, not the top, of the road-users’ hierarchy.

"In Headington this fencing seriously reduces the pavement width, and even on Frideswide Square precious space is considerably taken by e-scooter parking.

"OxPA holds that e-scooter parking and cycle parking should be provided for on roads.

"The removal of a single car parking space on the road would make space for several e-scooters or bikes."

Rental e-scooters are only available through government trials in 23 towns and cities around England.

It is illegal to use private e-scooters on public roads.

READ MORE: Investigation launched into plane crash

European micro-mobility company Voi Technology runs the e-scooter trial in Oxford.

(Image: OxPA) The trial, funded by the Department for Transport, has been extended several times.

From December 5 last year, people wanting to hire an e-scooter have been legally required to provide their name, driving licence number and a photograph of the front of their driving licence to hire operators.

A county council spokeswoman said in April: “Visitors and residents of Oxford can hire e-scooters as part of a government trial.

“We are working with our operating partner, Voi, to increase the availability of responsible parking options.

"As the highways authority, we gave permission for eight new parking bays to be installed last month in high-use areas.

"As the parking bays are temporary, they are classed under permitted development on public highway land and planning permission is not required."

(Image: Oxford Mail) Ms Dhall added: "The fact is that in addition to being forced to share pavement space with car parking, cycle parking, A-boards, road signs, poles, overhanging vegetation and whatever other clutter is seen fit to chuck onto the pavements, we now have to share space with e-scooter parks of considerable size.

"This is unacceptable, and creates tension between forms of transport (walking and e-scooters) that should be part of the solution."

She said the "large ugly metal fences" on pavements around e-scooter parking bays was taking up too much space.

Voi has been asked for a comment.