Milton Keynes man slams new e-scooters in town

Set up as a trial in August in partnership with Milton Keynes Council, the e-scooter rental company, Spin e-scooters, initially placed 100 scooters on the streets for residents to use - but quickly had to scale up to hundreds more scooters.

Neville Rhoades wrote into this newspaper outlining his displeasure with the new electric transportation and said he was finally pushed to speak out when he saw a delivery of 'loads' more electric scooters last week (Thursday, October 8) at the Centre MK train station.

He said: "I have not seen the reviews and opinions about all this, but as a local citizen I will make an observation. They are an unmitigated disaster.

"Government health guidance is for people to get more outdoor exercise, especially to reduce the health risks of obesity and laziness. This goes directly against this.

"The vehicles are dumped everywhere, causing an unsightly nuisance and hindrance. Presumably they also require re-charging, so collections are needed, a further cost and nuisance.

"Their speeds are high, causing a pedestrian hazard as many users travel on pathways, and play around pedestrian areas. They are therefore a health and safety risk.

"Absolute ignorance and idiocy, yet typical of modern corporate mentality."

Spin has responded to Neville's concerns by saying so far the scooters have had 'highly encouraging feedback'.

A Spin spokesperson said: "So far we've had highly encouraging feedback from riders in Milton Keynes, the early adopters of this new means of transport. We hope that with time others will also join in appreciating these e-scooters in how they offer a more convenient, fun and greener way to get around in our Milton Keynes.

"Hopping on a scooter is actually a great way to get more exercise and fresh air: you can scoot to the local park for a long walk or jog and get to your gym for a workout or yoga class.

"Anyone can report an abandoned scooter to us and our operations team will tend to them. You can do this either in app or via the phone number that you'll find on the scooters.

"Scooters' speed is limited to 15 miles per hour in the zones that they are allowed to operate. However, in some areas, like near the train station we reduced this to 10 miles per hour as an additional safety measure.

"We also have no ride zones where scooters will simply not work. This framework was worked out and agreed in conjunction with the city councils and key stakeholders."