Opinion - Scooter riders of Wellington unite!

A campaign for better parking options for scooters in the CBD. By Bridget Dunn
So here I am wondering who voted in this city council. Oh, hang on a minute… it was me!

That doesn’t seem like such an intelligent vote now because after years of riding my Vespa around the city (our city) – feeling very European darting around town and parking where I could out of harm’s way – scooter riders are under attack!

Blow me down (that’s before the Vespa could be blown down in a gust of wind) if I wasn’t now receiving $40 parking fines everywhere I go. And it isn’t easy leaving a ticket on a bike, but where there’s a will there’s a way!

This was apparently because I parked on a so-called ‘footpath’, and parking wardens seem to think a footpath is anything that a car doesn’t drive on. So as I’ve now discovered, anything motorised and with two wheels is forbidden to park anywhere other than in designated motorcycle parks.

These parks are limited in number and always full, all day long. There are hundreds of perfectly safe and sensible areas to park scooters all over the city, which we’ve been doing for years. Now, however, the council suggests we park in a car park building. I’d drive my car into town if I wanted to go to a parking building, but I don’t want to congest the city even more than it is.

The council now maintains that two wheels parked in undesignated areas are a hazard to pedestrians, people in wheelchairs, the visibility impaired and pushchairs. I think they’re in far more danger when crossing the road, especially on a designated crossing with our very unusual system where the light goes green for cars to turn left at the same time pedestrians are signalled to cross!

I haven’t seen any evidence of a person being injured by a two-wheeler parked off the road.

This is my city to freely whiz around and enjoy its wonderfully rich culture. I don’t want to be controlled by someone in the council getting into a position of power and telling me what I can and can’t do. This is another bureaucrat doing nothing more than trying to collect revenue.

The people make this city. We will continue to fight this bylaw and not be harassed by a council that’s trying to control us. We need to keep this city colourful and vibrant, and fight for what is right for the city and for all those who live in it.

Maybe the council should be focusing its energy on more important issues than discouraging the use of environmentally-friendly scooters, so we can all be happy and enjoy our beautiful city.

Anyone who wishes to help change this bylaw can e-mail jeff@griffen.co.nz to add to our list of supporters.