Protest in Breda: Group campaigns for legalization of electric scooters
According to the organization LegaalRijden, electric scooters, electric skateboards, Onewheels, and other light electric vehicles (LEVs) should be legalized. That is why the group is taking action in Breda on Saturday afternoon around 1 p.m. In their opinion, an e-step, for example, is much more practical than a bicycle. According to the organization, between 250 to 300 people will participate in the protest.
— Legaalrijden Lobbyisten (@legaalrijden) May 4, 2023
"Let's say you have to take the train between Rotterdam and Amsterdam to work," a spokesperson explained. "You have to wait a long time for a tram or park your bike in a parking lot that is always full. With an LEV, it's much faster."
LegaalRijden finds it "unfair" that LEVs are largely banned on public roads in the Netherlands, while they are legal in other countries. France, for instance, is already taking action against e-scooters due to an increase in the number of deaths and serious injuries caused by accidents involving these vehicles. Moreover, especially in Paris, there was chaos in the self-rental of two-wheelers.
The organization is therefore against such rentals on the streets. "It causes a lot of inconvenience," said the spokesperson. Users don't do well with rental scooters, but LegaalRijden says it's different when someone buys one. "We see that the number of accidents is lower with personal use," according to the spokesperson. The maximum speed of LEVs should be limited to 25 kilometers per hour, the organization continued. Furthermore, the association recommended always wearing a helmet.
The activists will take their vehicles on a tour on Saturday to draw attention to their cause. They will end their 10-kilometer route through Breda on the Grote Markt.
Reporting by ANP and NL Times