E-scooters in Austria – An awareness raising initiative
As we all know, e-scooters and bikes are tripping hazards for blind and partially sighted people – which is why the Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland started it’s first campaign to raise awareness for this issue on a highly frequented square in Vienna.
Background
Since June 2019, the use of e-scooters and bikes is the same before the law, which means that e-scooter users have to follow road traffic regulations. Therefore, scooters can be parked at the pavement if it is wider than 2.5 meters and if they are not blocking it in any way. Riding an e-scooter on the pavement is prohibited in Austria, as is riding a bike.
Successful initiative
The initiative in Vienna focused on the correct parking of bikes and scooters, which means without blocking tactile guidance systems, traffic lights or walls, which is essential for visually impaired people. To make the initiative more sustainable, cards were produced and distributed, which can be hung on bikes and scooters not parked correctly. Those cards inform about the law and why it is important for visually impaired people. The day was a success and many pedestrians, cyclists and scooter users were informed about why some consideration when parking their means of transport can make a big difference.