Will the sidewalks in Tel Aviv return to pedestrians? If Councilwoman Tzipi Brand and the person who currently appears to be Mayor Ron Huldai's main rival are to be believed, the answer is yes.
Brand pledges that four months after taking office, she will hold a poll inspired by the Paris referendum, in which residents will determine how to significantly limit scooters in the city.
"Huldai surrendered to transportation terror," says Brand, who claims that Tel Aviv-Yafo leads the ranking of Israel's most dangerous cities for pedestrians. Every year the number of road accidents involving scooters increases, and about 1,000 people are injured in hospitals from encounters with these vehicles. There was also a 3-fold increase in head injuries and a 50% increase in injuries among people over the age of 60.
Tzipi Brand, Photo: Pini Siluk
Comedian Guy Hochman, whose mother was seriously injured last week by a scooter on Hochman Street, tweeted: "My mum is in intensive care because of a scooter rider flying on the pavement. A 70-year-old woman went to meet a friend in Habima and graduated from the neurosurgical ward in Ichilov. The State of Israel, kick this tool out of the streets and save lives!"
My mother is in intensive care because of a scooter rider flying on the pavement. A 70-year-old woman went to meet a friend in Habima and graduated from the neurosurgical ward in Ichilov. The State of Israel, get this tool out of the streets and save lives! @TelAvivYafo @IL_police @rsa_Israel
— Guy Hochman (@HochmanGuy) June 15, 2023
Tel Aviv ranks first in the world in the number of shared scooters relative to population size: over 9,000 shared scooters are scattered throughout the city. When private tools are added to this figure, their number reaches 12,<>.
A survey conducted in the city shows that 97% of the city's residents want to change the policy and impose restrictions. 34% favor stricter licensing and enforcement of public scooters, 24% demand a reduction and limit in the number of scooters moving in the city, and 22% want a "safe space" in which scooter movement is prohibited.
Brand noted: "With 10 inspectors, we do not defeat the transportation terror in which scooter riders endanger pedestrians and themselves. Huldai's scooter pilot has gotten out of control and the municipality is pitting pedestrians against cyclists, and city residents have lost the confidence to take to the streets. The public clearly points to the failure of the Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality's policy on this issue, and we see the consequences in the emergency rooms and rehabilitation wards every day."
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