Newquay e-scooter trial sparks safety fears
Newquay BID manager has highlighted concerns over e-scooter safety as reports of near-misses and misuse rise.
Newquay’s Business Improvement District (BID) manager, Mark Warren, has warned it could be “only a matter of time” before someone is seriously injured by an e-scooter, amid concerns over children riding them, people travelling the wrong way down streets and scooters being used in busy pedestrian areas.
He said he had seen “a lot of near misses” since Beryl e-scooters were introduced to the town in June as part of Cornwall's ongoing trial.
"I am surprised we haven't had any major safety impact issues," he said.
"But I also feel that it could be only a matter of time before something like that can happen where somebody actually does get injured or worse."
The scooters arrived in Newquay ahead of the summer, with technology and restrictions intended to control who can use them and their speed in certain areas.
But Mr Warren said he has concerns about how the scheme is working on the ground -particularly in busy parts of the town.
He said he had seen children and young teenagers using the scooters despite resticitions intended to restrict usage to those with a full driving licence, as well as people riding two to a scooter.
“Kids are very clever nowadays and they can find ways of getting around things,” he said.
“I’m not saying everybody is irresponsible, but it has got safety concerns.”
Mr Warren also said some drivers had reported scooters travelling the wrong way along one-way streets.
"Without a cycle path, I think people on e-scooters and e-bikes seem to think it's okay to basically just head in the wrong direction on a one-way street," he said.
Mr Warren said he supports the idea of alternative transport options but questioned whether Newquay’s infrastructure was suited to e-scooters.
He compared the town with Dublin, where he said dedicated cycle and scooter routes help make it safer and easier to manage.
“I was recently in Dublin and they have such a great road network coming into Dublin," he said.
"They have actual cycle lanes and actual cycle and scooter paths. We have some of those in Newquay and we're having some built down at Cliff Road, but actually it's a small town."
He said the scooters could be useful when used properly, particularly for journeys such as travelling from Newquay railway station into the town centre.
"For people that use it sensibly, it's a great opportunity," he said.
"But it's that anti-social aspect, that younger aspect that thinks it's okay to bypass the safety systems.
"If that can't be fixed, then I don't think we should have them. It has to be fixed for it to become viable."
Mr Waaren said he believed Cornwall Council needed to take concerns raised during consultations seriously before deciding the future of the scheme.
“It's really important that that customer feedback, that public feedback is considered,” he said. "They need to stop and they need to listen to those consultations before they take it any further.
"When I am told by Cornwall Council that they are only to be used by people with driving licenses, whether probationary or not, and then I see young children using them, clearly there's an issue."
The trial is due to continue until the end of January, with consultation expected as decisions are made about its future.
Mr Warren stressed that his concerns were not about opposing innovation, but making sure the scheme was safe for Newquay.
"The last thing I'm against is innovation," he said.
"I think it's really important that we find alternative means of going into town and getting around towns - but it has to be right for that style of town."