Danger of scooters: the state disclaims responsibility, the number of casualties increases

While many authorities have infrastructure deficiencies, inspectors have no enforcement powers against scooter riders.

For years the Ministries of Transport and Economy have thrown over each other the responsibility for the supervisory and enforcement powers regarding the import and marketing of the tools, and in practice have not conducted any reviews at all.

Auditor's report

Keenan Cohen

04/07/2022

Monday, 04 July 2022, 16:00

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In the video: Enforcement operation against bicycle and electric scooter offenses in Tel Aviv (Photo: Police Spokeswoman)

The State Comptroller's report published today (Monday) devotes an entire chapter to monitoring enforcement in local authorities against cyclists and electric scooters.

Among the data and numbers presented in it, there are also some insights about the dilapidated base on which the transportation industry was built, which instead of getting us out of traffic jams, complicates matters.

If one wants to go back and figure out where the catastrophic seed of the dismal condition of some of the riders on scooters and electric bikes on city streets is buried, all one has to do is go back to the police enforcement data in 2014-2013.

The number of reports given in these years to riders on these vehicles - only 66.

Since then, with the increase in the number of vehicles and with it the number of casualties, the disruption they pose to other vehicles and the risk to themselves and pedestrians, and following an audit by the Comptroller's Office, enforcement has also expanded.

In the years 2016-2015, the number of reports increased to 12,356 and in 2020 the number was 58,000 reports.

Riding an electric scooter in Tel Aviv (Photo: Flash 90, Miriam Elster)

The report also mentions that for years the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Economy have been at odds over the question of who has the supervisory and enforcement powers regarding the import and marketing of these tools.

It has now been determined that the Ministry of Transport is the responsible party.

However, in cases where the tools are sold in stores without a trade license, or in stores and toy chains - neither the Ministry of Transportation nor the Ministry of Economy conducted inspections and enforcement.

The issue comes to insurance mainly in the area of ​​structural change in these tools, which allows them to be "opened" to speeds much higher than 25 km / h, as the law limits. In some cases, the more powerful tools develop speeds of 50, 70 and even 90 km / h.

What has not yet changed is the Ministry of Transport's lack of decision regarding the issue of registration and licensing of these power tools, and the ministry has not yet formulated a policy on the subject.

The report also denies the following authorities: Haifa, Hadera, Rehovot, Holon and Herzliya, which did not approve in the City Council the law to streamline municipal supervision and enforcement.

Therefore, these city inspectors have no enforcement powers and no reports have been filled out at all.

The Be'er Sheva municipality did train 60 inspectors, but miraculously - no report was recorded in it.

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Fatal accident scene between an electric bicycle and a bus, April (Photo: Shlomi Gabay)

The audit revealed that the Ministry of Transportation did not examine with the local authorities in whose area the Offidan project is underway their willingness and ability to establish feed paths for the project and finance the costs of planning and construction of the paths.

This, in connection with one of the flagship projects of supporting the use of bicycles safely, and the production of a sequence of riding trails in the Gush Dan area in a way that crosses authorities and municipalities.

It also emerged that in September 2021, 8 km of trails were completed from the 22 km that are under construction (and from the 150 km planned), and that the scope of the construction cost about NIS 128 million out of a total amount of NIS 700 million that will be budgeted cumulatively 10th

graders in all sectors are expected to study the traffic education program. The audit showed that the national average of tenth graders studying the subject is 77.3% of all tenth graders, while in tenth grades in the ultra-Orthodox sector the proportion of classes studying the traffic education program is 7%. Only from all tenth grades in the ultra-Orthodox sector.

Comptroller Engelman noted that given the number of casualties due to accidents with the said tools and since the regulation has direct effects on the safety of riders and users in the public space, along with the recognition that this regulation also has effects on quality of life, such as green transportation and traffic congestion. Israel to act to correct the deficiencies specified in the previous audit report that have not yet been amended, as well as to act to correct the additional deficiencies raised in the follow-up report.

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