Clearly, their main priority appears to be accumulating financial gain.
In the bustling city of Wuppertal, rental scooter providers are required to abide by a set of stringent regulations to ensure the safety and orderliness of the city's streets.
These guidelines include a minimum age requirement of 14 years old for riders, though a driver's license is not necessary as the scooters are limited to a top speed of 20 km/h. The rental companies are responsible for ensuring that their scooters are legally on the road, with a general operating permit (ABE) carried with each scooter, and that the scooters are licensed and insured.
When it comes to parking, while designated areas may not be clearly marked, rental providers are expected to ensure scooters are parked responsibly to avoid blocking sidewalks or public areas. In the city of Oberhausen, for instance, rental scooter providers are required to securely identify the driver before the start of the ride, using an "ID app".
However, obtaining and maintaining a special use permit for streets and squares is necessary for rental scooter providers. Municipal authorities are tasked with monitoring these providers to ensure they prioritize traffic coexistence over making money. Failure to adhere to these conditions could result in a warning and, as a last resort, permit revocation.
Despite these regulations, it remains unclear whether they have been enforced or led to permit revocation in any city. It's worth noting that in the city of Oberhausen, the only marked area near Primark is on the sidewalk outside the officially designated parking area.
For those interested in expressing their thoughts on this matter, letters can be sent to the Rundschau by clicking here, or to the editor of "unsere-website.de" at [email protected].
Sources:
- German Road Traffic Regulations
- E-Scooter Regulations in Germany
- E-Scooter Regulations in Cities
- E-Scooter Regulations in Oberhausen
- E-Scooter Regulations Worldwide
The stringent regulations in Wuppertal's scooter industry extend to finance and transportation sectors, as rental companies are responsible for securing permits, ensuring insurance coverage, and adhering to parking regulations. Moreover, in Oberhausen, business practices involving rental scooters also include the use of an "ID app" to securely identify drivers before each ride.
