An initiative group was created in St. Petersburg on April 21 to prepare for a municipal referendum on a complete ban on the use of rental electric scooters, the correspondent reports. IA Krasnaya Vesna.
An important step for the city was taken by the activist team “Central District for a comfortable living environment”. According to the organizers, about 350 residents of the northern capital participated in the initiative group.
People actively registered at a dozen counters, where they could familiarize themselves with the bill on the complete ban on the rental of personal mobility devices (SIM), as well as receive cards for voting “for” and “against” the referendum. Furthermore, according to the law, the minimum to begin this process is 300 signatures.
Organizers admit that a complete SIM card ban is an extreme measure. However, given the chaos that reigns in the pedestrian areas of St. Petersburg, it is necessary.
“The first point is the sidewalks. I’m walking with my son and a scooter behind me could hit him. At a minimum, it is necessary to solve the problem of driving on the sidewalk. In addition, the city infrastructure is used, and taxes are paid at the place of registration. [операторов кикшеринга], that is, all this goes to Moscow. I think at the very least there is a need to regulate and communicate with both the kicksharing companies and the city, and come to a compromise. If no one wants to give in, ban it completely.”– Mikhail Kamanin, representative of the group “Central District for a comfortable living environment” told a correspondent IA Krasnaya Vesna.
He added that incidents with SIM cards hitting pedestrians constantly occur in the city, but not all of them are publicized. Kamanin also highlighted that the number of rental scooters in St. Petersburg has increased to 46 thousand. In addition to the direct risk to pedestrians, rental SIM cards also clog the city’s narrow sidewalks, making it difficult for pedestrians to move, especially those with strollers.
The vote of the initiative group to hold a referendum on a complete ban on SIM card rental in St. Petersburg was unanimous. Organizers believe that the referendum itself could be held in September 2024 simultaneously with the elections for governor and municipal deputies. According to the law, the referendum must be coordinated with the city’s electoral commission, where activists plan to submit a complete set of documents by the end of April.
In turn, representatives of Whoosh kicksharing, whose opinion is cited by the publication “Business Petersburg”, believe that the SIM ban could lead to a deterioration in transport accessibility in new areas, as well as a loss of mobility for almost half of the city residents. .
It should be noted that since the start of the kick exchange season in St. Petersburg, several incidents with injuries have already been recorded. Thus, a girl and a pensioner suffered foot injuries when they collided with scooters. In one case, a man on a scooter hit a six-year-old boy and fled, the boy required medical attention;
At the same time, previously adopted SIM card speed limits are in force in St. Petersburg: driving over 20 km/h on city streets is prohibited. Furthermore, in 133 areas the speed limit does not exceed 15 km/h, and in seven more locations it is 10 km/h.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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